Project Goals

The overall goal for the Suwannee Hydrologic Observatory is to provide science-based answers related to the hydrologic carrying capacity of the basin.

· What is the hydrologic carrying capacity to maintain water quality and ecological integrity of groundwater, springs, rivers, wetlands and the estuary?

· How does it vary among hydrologic regions?

· What are the socioeconomic consequences of exceeding it?

· How does it vary among hydrologic regions?

· How will it be affected by hydrologic extremes and climate change?

This will be accomplished through:

· Characterization of the stores, fluxes, flow paths and residence times of water, nutrients, sediments, and energy throughout the watershed

· Characterization of the hydrology, water quality and ecosystem response to perturbations (human and natural) to the system

· Characterization of the socioeconomic response to perturbations in the system

· Merging measurements and predictions of hydrologic, water quality, ecosystem, and socioeconomic response in a coupled watershed-scale operational/predictive model