Excerpt From South Florida Regional Compact Implementation Guidance Series 2021
As the sea level continues to rise in response to the changing global climate, south Florida will become more and more susceptible to a wide variety of negative effects, primarily due to its very low topographic elevation. While the effects of sea level rise on coastal communities in south Florida are being reported worldwide, the more subtle impacts to the regional water resource management system, have recently come to light. The impacts fall into three general areas:
- Flood protection and drainage systems
- Quality of existing underground water supply sources
- Natural systems already impacted by human activity
The first, and most obvious impact is to the overall drainage system which in virtually every case ultimately releases excess stormwater into the ocean through the coastal estuaries. These systems are almost exclusively gravity driven. This means that water flows from higher elevations on the landscape to lower elevations simply by allowing gravity to pull the water from one drainage feature (swale, ditch, canal, pond, etc.) down to another until it finally flows into the ocean at the lowest level. When the ocean elevation rises, the elevation difference between upland areas and the ocean is lessened, which in turn lessens the gravitational pressure to move large volumes of rainfall runoff out to sea. This effect ultimately reduces the flow of water through the structure and slowing it down and increasing the frequency and duration of flooding resulting from heavy rains.
The path that stormwater takes from its beginning as runoff from heavy rains to its release into the ocean, is managed by a series of numerous physical structures made up of pipes, gates and sluices. These structures are operated (opened or closed) in conjunction with one another to release water from developed areas to avoid flooding or hold it back to enhance water storage and groundwater recharge.
Slow drainage problems are amplified when coastal structures are hit with a heavy rainfall event which is typical during land-falling tropical storms and hurricanes. In these cases, the elevation of the storm surge downstream of a structure (ocean side) can be pushed above the water level in canals upstream (land side). In these situations, the system operational personnel have no choice but to close the water control structure to avoid the inland rush of the coastal storm surge into the canal network, thereby further worsening flooding impacts.
Regional coastal structures maintain groundwater levels, which hold back saltwater intrusion into underground freshwater aquifers; they are also critical to minimizing flooding impacts. But numerous communities downstream of these facilities do not directly benefit from their operation yet face the same threat to their drainage infrastructure. The cities of Miami, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale are key examples of this situation.
Sea level has risen about eight inches over the past 100 years, and there are clear indications from recent tidal data that the rate of rise is accelerating. This forces immediate attention on the regions, like coastal south Miami-Dade County, where the current water control elevations are already very close to the current range of tidal fluctuations.
Most of the major water control structures along the coastline in Miami-‐ Dade County already maintain canal elevations very close to the upper end of the normal tidal elevation range. In some cases, spring tides already exceed the normal canal elevation, which forces gate closures at least twice a day during those periods.
Similar situations exist in Broward County, where numerous communities and their local drainage systems are situated downstream of the regional water control system. These communities find themselves in the position of facing a double threat associated with flooding. They are threatened by both direct impacts of rising seas on their local drainage systems, and storm discharges from the western regional systems flowing through the canal systems in their communities. A simple solution would be to stop or reduce the releases from the western communities. However, this action would most certainly worsen flooding in those towns and cities.
Adaption strategies can be complicated and expensive but must be considered for future implementation Statewide. For more information on the response to sea level rise, visit https://southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org.
The Orrin Randolph Plan
/in Flood Control, NewsThe Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) was established on June 15, 1915, with a three-member Board of Supervisors whose mission was to reclaim land within its boundaries. Prior to the creation of LWDD, a considerable amount of drainage work had already been completed by several entities such as the State of Florida, the Palm Beach Farms Land Company, the Model Land Company, and the Boston & Florida Atlantic Coast Land Company. In addition, private landowners and farmers had dredged drainage canals throughout the area. Although small drainage systems had been created, a cohesive long-term drainage plan was needed for the future expansion of what is now known as Palm Beach County.
In the spring of 1916, Orrin Randolph, Chief Engineer for the newly created LWDD, presented his first report to the Board of Supervisors. This report contained 127 pages detailing a plan of means and methods for draining the lands within the boundaries of LWDD. The report was submitted in compliance with Chapter 6458 of the 1913 Session Laws of the State of Florida. At that time, LWDD consisted of 129,317 acres of land and 3,400 acres of water. Rectangular in shape, LWDD extended 26 miles in length and 8 miles in width. Population records of 1916 showed there were approximately 6,500 owners of property within LWDD’s boundary making the average ownership equal to 20 acres per capita. Approximately 400 farmers were cultivating an estimated 5,000 acres of land, principally vegetables for distribution to northern markets.
In his report, Orrin Randolph identified the areas within LWDD that could not safely be relied upon for agricultural purposes and outlined the design parameters needed for future drainage. Randolph stated, “Provisions for artificial drainage would absolutely be necessary in order to provide a run-off rapid enough to prevent the destruction of crops as a result of accumulated excess water on the land.” Thus, Randolph’s extensive report was adopted by the Board of Supervisors as the Plan of Reclamation. The implementation of this plan would forever change the local landscape.
South Florida’s abundant agricultural resources served as the catalyst upon which prosperous and populous cities were built. This prosperity, then and now, is a result of the water management plan introduced by Orrin Randolph and adopted by LWDD over a century ago as the Plan of Reclamation. This plan created a large network of drainage canals providing flood control and water supply which remarkably still functions today for over 800,000 residents and tens of thousands of acres of farmland.
Agriculture in our area no longer exists to only feed the local inhabitants, and the migration of people into Florida continues to increase annually. LWDD has modified its mission over the century to meet the changing water management needs of these two diverse communities. Much of the District’s emphasis today is on residential flood protection. Although meeting the needs of agriculture and settlement can bring many challenges, it is because they harmoniously co-exist that living and working in our community is so highly desirable.
Not All Algal Blooms Are Harmful
/in News, Water QualityWarm temperatures and rainy Summer weather conditions often set the stage for algal blooms in our rivers, lakes, ponds, and canals. Like many people across the State, residents of the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD) may have concerns or confusion about these blooms. To help answer some frequently asked questions, we are providing the following information about algae.
Algae are simple organisms that grow through photosynthesis, a process by which sunlight is used to metabolize nutrients. Algae are a basic component of the food chain and are commonly found in marine, estuarine, freshwater lakes, canal systems, stormwater ponds and even swimming pools. Algae appear as green, red, or yellowish-brown particles that float on the water surface.
Although algae are a normal component of an aquatic ecosystem, nutrient-rich waters warmed by the sun provide a favorable medium for the overgrowth. This overgrowth is called an ‘algal bloom’. For algal blooms to occur two things must be present: high concentration of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and adequate sunlight. We cannot control sunlight, but we can limit our nutrient impact to surrounding waterbodies with proper maintenance of septic tank systems and limited use of fertilizers on landscapes and lawns. Currently approved herbicide or chemical treatments for the removal of algae uses a heavy metal compound that may adversely impact the waterbody. However, scientists are studying new treatments for the control of algae and safer alternatives may become available in the future.
While visually unappealing, most algae is not harmful to human health and provides a food source for aquatic life. However, some types, like “Blue-green” algae, which is a cyanobacteria, secrete toxins that may be harmful. The algae toxins can be inhaled by people living around the waterbody. It will aggravate respiratory illnesses like asthma. Symptoms of exposure to toxic algae include difficulty breathing, wheezing, skin rashes, headaches, and possible tingling in the fingers and toes. If water containing toxic algae is consumed potential liver damage may occur. It is important to keep humans and pets away from waterbodies that have toxic algal blooms and seek medical advice if symptoms appear.
Since most types of algae found within LWDD’s canals are non-toxic and do not impact flood control operations, LWDD does not regularly treat the canal system for algal blooms. Most algae growth in our canals is harmless and will dissipate on its own or will be flushed out of the canal system after a heavy rainfall.
Important phone numbers and links:
April is Water Conservation Month
/in Drought, News, Water ConservationPalm Beach County Commission passed the Mandatory Year-Round Landscape Irrigation Conservation Ordinance. The provisions of this Ordinance apply to all users providing landscape irrigation from all water resources within the boundaries of unincorporated Palm Beach County with the following exceptions:
Link to: PBC ‘s Year-Round Irrigation Ordinance
How Flood Control Works
/in Flood Control, News, ResidentialMan-made stormwater ponds are attractive enhancements to many residential communities and businesses within the Lake Worth Drainage District (LWDD). More importantly, these waterbodies serve an important public safety purpose as they are part of the overall flood control system.
When it rains stormwater flows into the retention pond and, if needed for flood control, out through the pond’s discharge control structure into the LWDD canal. Most of the time this drainage occurs unnoticed by the average individual. However, during a severe storm, flooding in streets, sidewalks, and driveways may occur. This temporary flooding may cause concern, but it is important to note these low-lying areas are designed as secondary detention areas to protect buildings and homes from flooding.
Within LWDD’s boundary, flood control is a shared responsibility and achieved through an interconnected, 3-tiered drainage system governed by 3 unique groups of people. Through communication and coordination, these 3 groups can provide effective flood control. The groups are identified as:
Water managers in charge of primary and secondary systems are continually monitoring the weather and canal levels to proactively respond to changes in canal elevations. In anticipation of a heavy rainfall event, water managers will make operational adjustments to maintain appropriate water elevations for flood control. Additionally, throughout the year routine canal maintenance is conducted to provide unobstructed flow in the canal channel and access along the canal rights-of-way. The inspection of control structures, pumps and other infrastructure is also conducted, and repairs or replacements are made.
Property owners and residential associations have a similar role regarding their neighborhood drainage system. They must maintain their drainage infrastructure to ensure that inlets, storm drains, underground pipes, and emergency discharge control structures are free of potential blockages and working as designed, thus maintaining the flow of stormwater away from their property. An annual inspection of the drainage infrastructure should be made, and repairs should be completed before the onset of storm season.
LWDD works closely with property managers and community boards to manage potential flooding. You can find more information about flood control at https://lwddnet.wpengine.com/storm-response.
Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Water Management
/in Flood Control, NewsExcerpt From South Florida Regional Compact Implementation Guidance Series 2021
As the sea level continues to rise in response to the changing global climate, south Florida will become more and more susceptible to a wide variety of negative effects, primarily due to its very low topographic elevation. While the effects of sea level rise on coastal communities in south Florida are being reported worldwide, the more subtle impacts to the regional water resource management system, have recently come to light. The impacts fall into three general areas:
The first, and most obvious impact is to the overall drainage system which in virtually every case ultimately releases excess stormwater into the ocean through the coastal estuaries. These systems are almost exclusively gravity driven. This means that water flows from higher elevations on the landscape to lower elevations simply by allowing gravity to pull the water from one drainage feature (swale, ditch, canal, pond, etc.) down to another until it finally flows into the ocean at the lowest level. When the ocean elevation rises, the elevation difference between upland areas and the ocean is lessened, which in turn lessens the gravitational pressure to move large volumes of rainfall runoff out to sea. This effect ultimately reduces the flow of water through the structure and slowing it down and increasing the frequency and duration of flooding resulting from heavy rains.
The path that stormwater takes from its beginning as runoff from heavy rains to its release into the ocean, is managed by a series of numerous physical structures made up of pipes, gates and sluices. These structures are operated (opened or closed) in conjunction with one another to release water from developed areas to avoid flooding or hold it back to enhance water storage and groundwater recharge.
Slow drainage problems are amplified when coastal structures are hit with a heavy rainfall event which is typical during land-falling tropical storms and hurricanes. In these cases, the elevation of the storm surge downstream of a structure (ocean side) can be pushed above the water level in canals upstream (land side). In these situations, the system operational personnel have no choice but to close the water control structure to avoid the inland rush of the coastal storm surge into the canal network, thereby further worsening flooding impacts.
Regional coastal structures maintain groundwater levels, which hold back saltwater intrusion into underground freshwater aquifers; they are also critical to minimizing flooding impacts. But numerous communities downstream of these facilities do not directly benefit from their operation yet face the same threat to their drainage infrastructure. The cities of Miami, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale are key examples of this situation.
Sea level has risen about eight inches over the past 100 years, and there are clear indications from recent tidal data that the rate of rise is accelerating. This forces immediate attention on the regions, like coastal south Miami-Dade County, where the current water control elevations are already very close to the current range of tidal fluctuations.
Most of the major water control structures along the coastline in Miami-‐ Dade County already maintain canal elevations very close to the upper end of the normal tidal elevation range. In some cases, spring tides already exceed the normal canal elevation, which forces gate closures at least twice a day during those periods.
Similar situations exist in Broward County, where numerous communities and their local drainage systems are situated downstream of the regional water control system. These communities find themselves in the position of facing a double threat associated with flooding. They are threatened by both direct impacts of rising seas on their local drainage systems, and storm discharges from the western regional systems flowing through the canal systems in their communities. A simple solution would be to stop or reduce the releases from the western communities. However, this action would most certainly worsen flooding in those towns and cities.
Adaption strategies can be complicated and expensive but must be considered for future implementation Statewide. For more information on the response to sea level rise, visit https://southeastfloridaclimatecompact.org.