MANASOTA & PEACE RIVER BBDs Meeting Notebook 10-21-09.docx

B243
Long-Term Water Budget Analysis of Lake Starr, Polk County
Florida
Project Type Basin Initiatives
AOR(s)
Water Supply
Basin(s) Peace River
Cooperator(s)
United States Geological Survey
Project Manager BEACH, MICHAEL
Task Manager(s)
Status Ongoing
Description
The purpose of this cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the District is to analyze the
effects of rainfall and ground-water levels on the lake levels of Lake Starr over a wide range of conditions. This lake is
a 134-acre seepage lake located on the Lake Wales Ridge within the Peace River Basin, about four miles north of
Lake Wales. The project will be based on a 10-year data set.
Benefits
It is believed that rainfall most affects lake levels when rainfall is above normal. It is also believed that ground-water
levels most affect lake levels when rainfall is generally normal to low and ground-water levels are low due to pumping.
However, if the District is to responsibly manage water resources, it is imperative that the District be able to verify and
quantify these relationships. This ten-year dataset provides the District and the USGS with an extremely wide range of
rainfall and lake level conditions, and the opportunity to significantly improve on the previous work. Additionally, the
developed relationships between rainfall and ground-water levels versus lake levels will provide a measure against
which simpler statistically-based models can be tested in the future.
Costs
The cost of the project is $600,000, to be shared equally between the USGS and the Peace River Basin Board. The
project will take three years to complete, October 2006 through September 2009. District costs for FY2009 will be
$100,000 and will complete the District obligation to this project.
Additional Information
The USGS previously did an analysis on this lake for the 2-year period August 1996 through July 1998. During that
period rainfall was 50.68 inches and 54.04 inches, respectively. These rainfall amounts are very close to the long term
annual average of 51.99 inches. Lake levels during that time fluctuated between 103.9 feet and 106.6 feet , NGVD: a
range of less than three feet. Since that time, the USGS has continued collecting data: lake levels, ground-water
levels, rainfall, and evaporation. There are now ten years of data that include periods of extreme drought as well as
periods of considerable rainfall. Lake levels over that time have fluctuated between 96.3 to 109.8 feet, NGVD: a range
of over 13 feet. Analysis of the extended data will provide a better understanding of the contribution to lake levels from
groundwater, rainfall, and evaporation at the extreme ends of the rainfall and lake level ranges.
Prior
Funding
Cumulative FY 2009 FY2010
Transfers Funding Funding
District Budgeted - Ad Valorem Based
Revenue
020 Peace River Basin 210,486 0 104,859
0
0 315,345
Project Funds Not Budgeted by the
District
USGS 200,000 0 100,000
0
0 300,000
Total:
Future
Funding
Total
Funding
$615,345
Critical Project Milestones Projected Amended Actual
Agreement Completed 10/1/06 12/12/06
Analytic Water Budget and Analysis 9/30/07 2/22/08
Report Preparat & Review 3/31/08
020 - Peace River Basin 116