Station 02288800, Tamiami Canal Outlets, Monroe to Carnestown, FL

Establishment - 1963

Drainage Area - Indeterminate

Water Stage Recorder - Lat 25 53 14.7, long 81 15 42.3, in NW 1/4sec. 6, T.53 S., R.31 E., Collier County, on downstream side of bridge 84 on U.S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail), 7 miles east of Carnestown and 10 miles west of Monroe. Datum of recorder is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Discharge Measurements - Discharge for this station is the sum of the flow to the south through 20 outlets (Bridges 77-95 including Bridge 78A) under the Tamiami Trail for a distance of approximately 16 miles from Monroe to a point 1 mile east of the intersection with State Highway 29 at Carnestown. Flow at the westernmost outlets are slightly affected by tidal influence.

Current meter measurements with Price AA meters and 10-foot expandable wading rods are made at those bridges having a measurable velocity. Estimates of flow through the outlets having low velocities are made by timing the movement of submerged fine sand particles in the stream. Measuring sections are on the downstream side of all bridges unless heavy weeds are present.

In 1997, a field site inspection revealed that driveway fills across the Tamiami Canal between Bridges 77 and 83 may prevent hydraulic connection along the Canal. This produces weak or inconsistent stage/discharge relationships for this station.

Station 02288900, Tamiami Canal Outlets, 40-Mile Bend to Monroe, near Miami, FL

Establishment - 1962

Drainage Area - Indeterminate

Water Stage Recorder - Lat 25 51 5.9, long 80 58 51.5, in SW 1/4sec. 13, T.53 S., R.33 E., Collier County, on the south bank of Tamiami Canal, 25 feet east of Bridge 105 on U.S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail), and 32 miles west of Levee 30 along Tamiami Trail. Datum of recorder is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Discharge Measurements - Discharge for this station is the sum of the flow to the south through 29 outlets (Bridges 96-117 and 22-28) and one gate control structure (S-14) under the Tamiami Trail for a distance of approximately 20 miles from a point 1 mile east of S-14 to Monroe.

Current meter measurements with Price AA meters and 10-ft. expandable wading rods are made at those bridges having a measurable velocity. Estimates of flow through the outlets having low velocities are made by timing the movement of submerged fine sand particles in the stream. Measuring sections are on the downstream side of all bridges unless heavy weeds are present.

Station 02289040, Tamiami Canal Outlets, Levee 67A to 40-Mile Bend, near Miami, FL

Establishment - 1963

Drainage Area - Indeterminate

Remarks - Discharge for station 02289040 includes flow for four S-12 structures:

• Station 254543080491100 - Tamiami Canal above S-12-A, near Miami, FL
• Station 02289018 - Tamiami Canal above S-12-B, near Miami, FL
• Station 02289040 - Tamiami Canal above S-12-C, near Miami, FL
• Station 254543080405400 - Tamiami Canal above S-12-D, near Miami, FL

Upstream Water Stage Recorders -

Station 254543080491100 -- Lat 25 45 42.7, long 80 49 16.3, T.54 S., R.35 E., Dade County, on the south bank of Tamiami Canal, 200 ft. northwest of control structure 12-A, and 37 miles west of Miami. Datum of recorder is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Station 02289018 -- Lat 25 45 43.0, long 80 46 10.2, T.54 S., R.36 E., Dade County, on the south bank of Tamiami Canal, 100 ft. northwest of control structure 12-B, and 35 miles west of Miami. Datum of recorder is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Station 02289040 -- Lat 25 45 43.2, long 80 43 36.1, T.54 S., R.35 E., Dade County, on the south bank of Tamiami Canal, 200 ft. northwest of control structure 12-C, and 33 miles west of Miami. Datum of recorder is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Station 254543080405400 -- Lat 25 45 43.4, long 80 40 55.3, T.54 S., R.35 E., Dade County, on the south bank of Tamiami Canal, 150 ft. northwest of control structure 12-D, and 31 miles west of Miami. Datum of recorder is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Discharge Measurements - Discharge for this station is the sum of the flow to the south through the four S-12 structures from the Conservation Area 3A. These four structures are reinforced concrete, gated spillways with the discharge of each controlled by six cable-operated vertical lift gates. Operation of the gates is manually controlled and operated by the South Florida Water Management District for the US Corps of Engineers, in accordance with the "Rain-driven Water Deliveries to Everglades National Park" and the Regulation Schedule of Conservation Area 3A.

The position of the gate and/or the head differential determines the discharge measuring technique. If the gates are in the water, measurements are performed using a specially designed rod and Price current meter. If gates are open less than 0.60 ft. measured at any one end of one gate then no measurement is to be a ttempted at that gate because of the possibility of wedging the rod and meter between the gate and sill. If a gate is completely free of the water, then an inspection of the head between upstream and downstream stages will determine whether a float stick or current meter is used. If the head differential is 0.02 ft. or less a float stick can be used in the gate chamber on the upstream side of the gate under the catwalk. A time of travel measurement utilizing the north and south vertical sides of the concrete catwalk with the float stick lengths covering at least 80% of the depths can be used when mean velocities are less than 0.4 ft/sec. If heads are greater than 0.02 ft., then a Price current meter with a bridge board is used on the downstream side of the catwalk due to a sloping gate chamber floor. When gates are in the water, measurements of gate openings are made from the "grated gate motor platform" above gates. An average gate opening is obtained by measuring from a horizontal steel plate up to an USGS-maintained reference mark on vertical gate rods at each gate.

Station 02289060, Tamiami Canal Outlets, Levee 30 to Levee 67A, near Miami, FL

Establishment - 1963

Drainage Area - Indeterminate

Water Stage Recorder - Lat 25 45 39.4, long 80 33 41.1, in NW 1/4sec. 6, T.54 S., R.38 E., Dade County, on the south bank of L-29, 50 ft. west of bridge 53 on US 41, and 22.8 mil west of Miami. Datum of recorder is National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Discharge Measurements - Discharge measurements for this station are the sum of the flow to the south through 19 outlets and one gate control structure (S-12-E) under the Tamiami Trail for a distance of approximately 11 miles from Levee 30 to Levee 67A. Flows at the westernmost outlets are slightly affected by tidal influence.

Current meter measurements with Price AA meters and 10-ft. expandable wading rods are made at those bridges having a measurable velocity. Estimates of flow through the outlets having low velocities are made by timing the movement of submerged fine sand particles in the stream. Measuring sections are on the downstream side of all bridges unless heavy weeds are present.

Flow into the canal consists of seepage from Conservation Area 3B immediately north of the canal and releases through S-12E. Flow through the outlets is normally to the south, however, during the dry season, small negative flow has been observed in some of the westernmost outlets.