Salinity and Flow Relations and Effects of Reduced Flow in the Chassahowitzka River and Homosassa River Estuaries, Southwest Florida

摘要

The purpose of the report is to evaluate the relation between flow and salinity in the Chassahowitzka River and Homosassa River Estuaries and to illustrate the effects of reduced flow by water-supply diversion on salinity intrusion in both estuaries. Data on salinity, flow, and high tides are used to describe the distribution and movement of saltwater. Relations among flow, high-tide stage, and the maximum upstream extent of the vertically averaged 5- and 3-ppt salinities in the Chassahowitzka River and the vertically averaged 5- and 2-ppt salinities in the Homosassa River are evaluated by regression techniques. These relations are used to illustrate the effects of flow on the daily maximum upstream extent of the salinity locations in both rivers. Examples that show the effects of reduced spring flow by well-field pumpage on salinity locations in each river are presented.