Everglades Water Level

I have recently heard that the water level in the Everglades is high and as a result the bird and wildlife population is way down.  Is the true?  I hope not.  I have read that flood control measures, Hurricane Sandy and reducing the water level of Lake Okeechobee may be responsible.  What has been the experience of those here who have been there lately? 

The rainfall in FL has been way above normal this year which has required releases from Lake Okeechobee which are affecting the wildlife on both coasts.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-fara ... 08280.html

Don't know if this will add to your understanding.  I have been an Everglades Wildlife Biologist, remain connected and will return.  

After this explanation I give, remember.....in the end, it is best to call ENP and ask for someone who can and will describe the current and trending water conditions.

Typically, the rains start in April and continue daily, through November..... (edit:  probably more typically through September).  With the Glades surrounded by water on three sides and evapotranspiration being the mechanism driving the hydrologic cycle, when average daily temps rise dramatically, heavy rain is inevitable.  

When the rainy season is in full swing, rains are local, widespread, of short duration and very intense.  During the peak of the rainy season, thunderheads build early in each day and deluges occur as early as late morning.....every day.   

Wading bird breeding is synched with the dry season, so that gradually receding waters increasingly trap fish populations, which lead to wading bird feeding aggregates.  Over the 2-3 month period, the birds must take in enough energy to feed themselves and their developing brood.  

And I believe its critical they fledge the young before the waters start to rise.  

The wading birds know when the dry season is approaching.   December marks the beginning of the typical dry season, and wading bird breeding plumage appears usually in "latish" December.  I like to say that breeding plumage appears right about at Christmas time.  But if the rains continue through December, you won't see breeding plumage.

So, the above was just the typical rainy season and typical is not always the case.  

I've seen years where the rain cycle is reversed or it rained all winter.  Continually receding waters are absolutely vital to successful nesting.   And so if rains continue all winter, water levels rise, and an entire Year Class of wading birds can be lost (actually they are never produced at all).     

The Everglades are damaged.   I believe that a continually unbridled human population growth in South Florida is only going to assure that the Everglades will never fully recover.   There is a Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) in place.  I believe it has a life of 20 years.  

How can permanent progress be made toward the restoration of the Everglades when the human population is continually increasing ?   It defies logic.

The Biscayne Aquifer is not inexhaustible.   Saltwater intrusion continues.  In the long run, the Everglades will become increasingly saline.   But I am not a hydrologist and so I can only take educated guesses on this environmental factor.  Would like to see a hydrologist here commenting on the Biscayne Aquifer's capacity.

So......call Everglades National Park and learn the current and trending hydroperiod.    If it has rained all winter, you are unlikely to see any wading bird feeding aggregates.  

Robert King
http://itsaboutnature.smugmug.com

Blck-shouldered Kite wrote:Don't know if this will add to your understanding.  I have been an Everglades Wildlife Biologist, remain connected and will return.  

After this explanation I give, remember.....in the end, it is best to call ENP and ask for someone who can and will describe the current and trending water conditions.

Typically, the rains start in April and continue daily, through November.  When the rainy season is in full swing, rains are local, widespread, of short duration and very intense.  During the peak of the rainy season, thunderheads build early in each day and deluges occur as early as late morning.....every day.  

Wading bird breeding is synched with the dry season, so that gradually receding waters increasingly trap fish populations, which lead to wading bird feeding aggregates.  Over the 2-3 month period, the birds must take in enough energy to feed themselves and their developing brood.  They know when the dry season is approaching.   December marks the beginning of the typical dry season, and wading bird breeding plumage appears usually in latish December.  I like to say that breeding plumage appears right about at Christmas time.  But if the rains continue through December, you won't see breeding plumage.

So, .the above was just the typical rainy season and typical is not always the case.  

I've seen years where the rain cycle is reversed or it rained all winter.  Continually receding waters are absolutely vital to successful nesting.   And so if rains continue all winter, water levels rise, and an entire Year Class of wading birds can be lost (actually they are never produced at all).     

The Everglades are damaged.   A continually unbridled human population growth in South Florida is only going to assure that the Everglades will never fully recover.   There is a Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) in place.  I believe it has a life of 20 years.  

How can the Everglades possibly recover when the human population is continually increasing?  

The Biscayne Aquifer is not inexhaustible.   Saltwater intrusion continues.  In the long run, the Everglades will become increasingly saline.   But I am not a hydrologist and so I can only take educated guesses.

Call Everglades National Park and learn the current and trending hydroperiod.    If it has rained all winter, you are unlikely to see any wading bird feeding aggregates.  

Robert King
http://itsaboutnature.smugmug.com

Wow! Robert, thanks for the comprehensive response.  I now understand a lot more than before.  I greatly appreciate the time and thought you put into this educational post.

[quote="Ed Cordes:  I have recently heard that the water level in the Everglades is high and as a result the bird and wildlife population is way down.  Is the true?  I hope not.  I have read that flood control measures, Hurricane Sandy and reducing the water level of Lake Okeechobee may be responsible.  What has been the experience of those here who have been there lately? [/quote]

The Burmese Python has depleted as much as 90% of the native mammal population.  

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=bu ... es+mammals

Wasn't it recently reported that the growth rate of Everglades alligators has been found to be greatly decreased ?

All the energy that is manufactured in a food web comes from photosynthesis.  The Everglades survive by these same dynamics.  The higher you go in the food web  (the Energy Pyramid), the less energy is available.  There is only so much energy left at the top of any food web, in any ecosystem, anywhere on the Biosphere.  And the python and alligator are now the apex predators here.  

The Florida panther is critically endangered and will not recover. is very unlikely to recover. There is just too much vehicular traffic, too few panthers and they require enormous home ranges.  
 
I fear the Burmese Python is going to be much more successful than the American alligator. 

The introduction of this snake into the Everglades is another example of how humans destroy ecosystems.  The Burmese python in the Everglades.........is a tragedy brought on by irresponsible people.  

Thank you Ed   I do appreciate what you said above.  I am very glad this helps you understand the Everglades a little more.   

Thanks again Robert. Up North here we hear about the Python hunt but now I understand the real importance of it. Frankly it doesn't seem like they are really making a dent in the situation. Sounds like the old stories we used to hear in NY City about the FL baby alligators released by FL vacationers into the sewer system growing up to become monsters and arriving at you home via the toilet!!. Problem is the Python situation is true!!!

I was there in August and there was barely any water to speak of, Very disappointing

Dave

I was just talking to a friend last week while he was at  at the park and he said it was the worst he's ever seen it. Due to the high water nothing is concentrated at the usual spots like eco pond. He said he didn't even see any birds on The Anhinga trail and only 2 small alligators. I'm sure you'll be able to find something to shoot but don't expect it to be a good year. My friend said he was shooting a lot of landscapes that he neglected in past years. Good luck, Bill

It has rain all winter here one of the wettest dry seasons we have had due to the strong El Niño this year. I am going to be camping in the Glades for a few days shooting landscapes will be leaving my 500 at home.

Things are not good at Ding or the surrounding area.

http://dingdarlingsociety.org/lakeo

I am currently in the Everglades and water levels are very high. I walked the Anhinga Trail twice today and saw a grand total of two birds. You read that right just 2 birds - a Purple Gallinule and a Double-crested Cormorant. It's as if somebody took all the birds out and then built a dome to keep them out. the place is completely lifeless.

Other bird-centric spots a bit North such as Wakodahatchee, Viera Wetlands, etc have a very nice number of birds.

I just returned from Merritt Island and Viero Wetlands. These spots have a lot of wading birds, Great Egrets, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Grey and White Pelicans, Bald Eagles, etc. There were birds in both places and easily approached on the car trails. I found a lot of good photographic opportunities in both places. My go to lens was the new Nikon 200-500 lens. Did not go to the Everglades. FYI. Thanks to all on this site for the information prior to my trip.

I did another walk through of Anhinga Trail yesterday morning.  There was a lot more birdlife than my afternoon walk but other than Black Vultures it was all of the small bird variety.  I saw Catbirds, Cardinals, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Palm Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and more.  No egrets, Herons, Anhingas or anything else.  It was awesome for Evergladescapes with killer morning clouds though

Ed Cordes wrote:I have recently heard that the water level in the Everglades is high and as a result the bird and wildlife population is way down.  Is the true?  I hope not.  I have read that flood control measures, Hurricane Sandy and reducing the water level of Lake Okeechobee may be responsible.  What has been the experience of those here who have been there lately? 

    Ed - I think you're attempting to tie "cause and result" as a singular subject, a "finger point" if you will. Florida in general has had more than its normal amount of rainfall across the past two years, in stark contrast to other areas of the USA experiencing dire drought. It's a stretch of the imagination, though, to suggest high-water controls bird migration into the area. They are simply not even coming - for whatever reason.
   I live in Central Florida year-round as I have for the past 40-some years. In the past dozen years have aggressively pursued bird-wildlife photography... a natural fit - right in my back yard per se. Unquestionably, the decline of wintertime bird population to the general area has dropped off immeasurably from what it once was 8-10 years ago. I haven't a clue why.
   In say the past five years of going back to my favorite shooting haunts, "can't miss" areas, I've seen a winter resident bird population decline of approximately 25% per year, each and every year 25% less! Compound that five times and it's "Yikes!" I sometimes find nothing to shoot.
   Even the native Sandhill Cranes that reside in Florida year-round are noticeably less this year. Wood ducks, far less, and far less babies hatched last year, and the year before. The ducks never arrived or got this far south. Osprey that normally reside in bountiful numbers--there's far less, sometimes only a few.
  I almost want to apologize to an E.J. Peiker and others who have come... and found few birds; wish I had known they were coming - would have issued a stay-at-home advisory.
  Devoted Audubon enthusiasts have said much the same "fewer birds." No one has an answer. Some podium-pounders like to pontificate on reasons why; often an axe to grind. The issue must lie further north, not Florida per se. For whatever reason the winter migration into the area is diminishing; areas available have pretty much stayed the same in the central portion of the state where various areas are surprisingly, and remain, very rural.

No apology required   My primary purpose in FL was not bird photography.  I had a couple of extra days and I already knew that there were few birds and instead set my sights on landscapes.  I have seen many wonderful landscape photos taken in this area but have never gone to the Everglades for that purpose so that is what I did and I was not disappointed - I got great sunrises and sunsets on each day I was there and mid day there were enough clouds to make infrared photography fun.  Even the Anhinga Trail provided some excellent landscape opportunities.