Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, Hawaii Pacific Islands CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

This funding opportunity (10HQPA0063), offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through its Southeast Ecological Science Center, is a cooperative agreement intended for a participating partner in the Hawaii Pacific Islands Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU). The core purpose is to support applied research that reduces uncertainty tied to canal backfilling and restoration actions, specifically by improving understanding of how sheet flow behaves across a complex wetland landscape. The work is framed under the DECOMP Physical Model (DPM) cooperative program and is meant to clarify how surface water direction and speed change across space and time, how those hydrodynamics interact with vegetation, and how those factors influence particle entrainment and redistribution. In practical terms, the project is designed to confirm whether restoration operations are actually producing the intended "flow field" within the DPM footprint.

A central motivation for the project is that many of the hypotheses in the DPM Science Plan, including four hypotheses related to fauna, depend on knowing the hydrodynamics before and after operation of the L 67A culverts (S152). The USGS is looking for research that can determine whether water is being redirected around existing landscape features (like ridge and slough topography or vegetation patches) and quantify the rate at which water moves through the study area. Establishing this baseline and post operation comparison is presented as critical for evaluating whether the restoration action has successfully created the desired hydrologic conditions, rather than simply altering water levels without producing the targeted directional sheet flow.

The primary technical objective is to define the DPM flow field using sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer methods adapted to the extremely low gradient conditions of the Everglades. The proposed approach calls for four separate SF6 tracer studies conducted during the operational window from October through January, with one study per year, split into two tracer deployments before culvert operation and two after. For each tracer test, SF6 would be released immediately downstream of the L 67A culverts, and the plume would then be tracked daily for roughly 5 to 10 days depending on how quickly it disperses. Continuous measurements of SF6 concentrations are expected, using a gas chromatograph (GC) mounted on an airboat, enabling the research team to follow plume movement and infer flow direction, velocities, and dispersion patterns at a scale relevant to the broader DPM footprint.

Beyond simply measuring tracer movement, the opportunity emphasizes integrating field results with spatial mapping and modeling to translate tracer observations into a more complete picture of fine scale flow processes. Aerial photography is to be used to delineate landscape features that may steer or constrain flow, and the tracer results are expected to feed into a Lattice Boltzmann modeling procedure. That modeling component is intended to generate fine scale simulations of flow dynamics within the ridge slough landscape, explicitly incorporating vegetation interactions that can strongly influence resistance, channelization, and micro scale circulation. USGS indicates it will provide key supporting datasets such as high resolution elevation data and vegetation attributes including type, biomass, biovolume, and stem density, which are essential inputs for credible hydrodynamic simulation in wetlands where frictional effects dominate.

Reporting and deliverables are also specified. The recipient is expected to provide an annual report of results and findings by January 30, 2011, with an explicit expectation that the SF6 work be coupled with complementary rhodamine dye studies being conducted by USGS and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The dye work is described as a companion effort focused on short term, local flow dynamics in ridges and sloughs. Under that dye approach, rhodamine would be introduced into approximately 5 to 10 sloughs and sawgrass ridges within both a flow way and control areas, with hourly aerial observations used to document flow paths and patterns. In addition, water samples would be collected from sentinel sites at 15 minute intervals for fluorescence detection, supporting a higher frequency understanding of short duration transport behavior compared to the longer duration, larger scale SF6 plume tracking.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary opportunity using a cooperative agreement mechanism, with an estimated total funding amount of $320,295 and an expectation of a single award. No cost sharing or matching requirement is listed. Eligibility is limited to organizations that are participating partners of the Hawaii Pacific Islands CESU Program, reflecting the CESU model in which federal agencies collaborate with a network of partner institutions to deliver research, technical assistance, and education aligned with management needs. The original posting date was May 11, 2010, with a closing date of May 24, 2010, and an archive date of June 23, 2010. The CFDA number associated with the program is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). The listed point of contact for access issues is Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

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