Case Study: IDBM Plan

Question 1

Where does the IDBM Plan take place?

Answer 1

In the Kissimmee river

Question 2

Define wetland

Answer 2

an area of land where the soil is permanently OR seasonally saturated with moisture. This area might be completely or partially covered in shallow pools of water.

Question 3

geographically describe the Kissimmee River

Answer 3

The river is in central/south Florida
mouth: Lake Okeechobee
216km long

Question 4

When was river management introduced and what?

Answer 4

1962
Dam removal
River straightening

Question 5

All of what things were altered to restore the natural flow of the Kissimmee?

Answer 5

Channel removal
Backfilling
dam removal

Question 6

Describe channel removal

Answer 6

When the river was channelized, flood pains dried up and disappeared because the volume of water flowing through the channel at a given time (discharge) became 90% less. As meanders do not exist anymore, channel velocity increases drastically and ecosystems are destroyed. Biodiversity decreases as nutrient-rich sediment cannot be deposited.

Question 7

What percentage of the river’s discharge was reduced when the river was channelized?

Answer 7

90%

Question 8

Why was channel removal introduced and what consequences resulted from this?

Answer 8

Usually channels are straightened to increase the surface area for irrigation. Crops induced with chemical fertilizers (nitrogen and phosphate) may create salinization, dehydrating crops and river vegetation. OR eutrophication-> dead zones.

Question 9

Explain backfilling

Answer 9

Certain soil parts outside the river are carved out, others are ‘filled’. This creates an ‘outline’ for meanders which will be expressed more later. This allows the depositing of sediments which brings fresh nutrients into the Kissimmee.

Question 10

what did river backfilling and channel removal allow?

Answer 10

Rich nutrients and biodiversity to return.

Question 11

Evaluate the removal of dams.

Answer 11

pos: more fish/aquatic life can pass the dam. Because of dams, travel upstream wasn’t possible (eg. salmon). Sediments can now also pass through the dam more fluently, restoring biodiversity.
-giant water bug
-water scorpion (crawl along bank)

neg: dam removal was very disruptive
- floods
- economic struggle for florida
-noise pollution
- migration of towns