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