South Florida Regional Modeling Systems

The major District models of the Soutth Florida Region are:

Natural System Model (NSM) a distributed hydrology model that estimates flow, stage, and ponding, topography, vegetation and transverse glades based on 1965-1990 climatic input (rainfall, potential evapotranspiration (ET) and boundary conditions). This model simulates Florida's elevation, water system and vegetation prior to 1900. The areas modeled include northern areas, Lake Okeechobee, Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Preservation Area, Water Conservation Areas and Lower East Coast. The grid scale is two miles square. It is run on a daily time step. It takes approximately 35 minutes to do a 26 year run on a SPARC 10. Used by District's Ecosystem Restoration Department and Everglades National Park.

South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM) / South Florida Regional Simulation Model (SFRSM), a distributed hydrology simulation. The SFRSM is the updated object-oriented version being developed. The areas modeled include Lake Okeechobee, Everglades Agricultural Area, Everglades Preservation Area and Lower East Coast. Calculates evapotranspiration in the unsaturated zone, water shortage plan, supply-side management and overland flow. The grid scale is two square miles. It is run on a daily time scale. It takes approximately 6 hours to do a 26 year run on a SPARC 10. Used in the District's Lower East Coast Regional Water Supply Plans, Corps GDM, and West Dade Wellfield Evaluation. The SFWMD Governing Board uses results to formulate policy.

Linked Water Quality Model is a model currently under development which will simulate the quality of the water in the Everglades Agricultural Area and the Everglades Preservation Area. The grid scale is two square miles. It is run on a daily time scale. There is an effort to link this model to the SFWMM/SFRSM.

Everglades Landscape Model (ELM) simulates hydrology, water quality, flora, and fauna in the Everglades Preservation Area. The grid scale is one kilometer square. It is run on a daily time scale. This model can receive hydrology calculations from the NSM or SFWMM/SFRSM to track evolution of the system. The National Geological Surveys is also developing a similar model. It is noted that to track alligator holes and wildlife a grid of 100 meter scale is required.

Regional Water Routing Model, previously known as the POT model, it is a "lump" model, i.e. a linked reservoir model. The data from detailed simulation should feed into the South Florida Water Management Model to determine demand. It is run on a daily time step. Simulation time is short because it uses the reservoir model instead of Finite Difference calculations. Used for screening alternative regulation schedules.

Hydrologic Projection Model - seasonal projections. A hybrid model merging theSouth Florida Water Management Model and the Regional Routing Model. Used by District's Hydrologic Data Management Department and Operations Department.

Lower East Coast Regional Water Supply Plan (LECRWSP) are a set of programs created by Jeff Giddings and Jorge Restrepo that simulate cutbacks to the public water supply and irrigation demands to prevent salt water pumping. Updated 1993 algorithm allows the SFWMM to call the Agricultural Field Scale Irrigation Requirement Simulation Model (AFSIRS) output to quantify evapotranspiration (ET) from the unsaturated zone and to simulate irrigation withdrawals from the water table aquifer by interacting with the County MODFLOW model. These calculations are preprocessed.

Canal Sloping MODBRANCH

Ground Water Projection Model - utilizes 3 -dimensional algorithms with layered aquifers in ground water and 1000 x 2000 ft. grid scales.

GW Zoom is an interface to MODFLOW that allows variable grid, separate runs and zoom-in capability.

MODFLOW is a version of County groundwater models originally developed by the United States Geological Survey. They are highly parallel. Model considers inflows to and outflows from the water table aquifer. Runs on five day time-step.

Agricultural Field Scale Irrigation Requirements Simulation Model (AFSIRS) performs crop root zone water balance on a daily basis to compute irrigation requirements. Deals with the processes above land surface elevation and down to the root zone of the crop, water table is assumed to be below the crop root zone, and outside the AFSIRS control volume. Interacts with the County MODFLOW model and the SFWMM, but each model operates with a different control volumes. Runs for 365 days in 1 year with set and reset parameters for the next year. Developed by A. G. Smajstrla, University of Florida in 1986 and updated in 1990.

Additionally there are other models developed by other agencies, e.g. counties (ground water models) and Army Corps of Engineers (COE), Everglades National Park (ENP), United States Geological Survey (USGS). The county models of Static Data Water and Ground Transmissivity are used by Regulations and Permitting.

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