FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Geological & Hydrological Sciences (GHS): GHS-2

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Complex surface water-groundwater interactions associated with backwater conditions on the Withlacoochee River of north Florida.  J.C. SCHNEIDER, S.B. UPCHURCH, and K.M. CHAMPION.  SDII Global Corp., Tampa, FL 33634.  The discharge of the Withlacoochee River and its associated springs is affected by backwater conditions resulting from downstream flow in the Suwannee River.  For a given stage, discharge in the Withlacoochee River is higher while stage is increasing than during decreasing stage.  The springs of the Withlacoochee River are estavelles that discharge into, or receive water from, the river depending on hydraulic conditions.  Spring discharge is not only a function of aquifer head and river stage, but also the slope of the river surface, which is a function of the backwater conditions.  For a given stage, the slope on the river is much greater during rising stage than during falling stage.  This complex relationship is the focus of development of minimum levels and flows for the springs and river.