Chapter 6: Optimization Research for the Stormwater Treatment Areas

The primary focus of STA Optimization Research this year has been to assess the performance of the STA treatment cells, conduct controlled experiments in the test cells, perform marsh dry-out experiments in mesocosms, and improve the hydraulic performance of treatment Cell 4. The highlights of events and research into STA optimization are listed below: • STA-1 West: ! The Everglades Nutrient Removal Project (ENRP) has been incorporated into the larger STA-1 West (STA-1W) with the addition of treatment Cells 5A and 5B. The effective treatment area of the enlarged STA is now 2,699 hectares (ha) (6,670 acres), a significant increase from the former 1,545 ha (3,819 acres). ! Incorporating the ENRP into STA-1W has altered some of the previous hydrologic flow patterns. Because construction activities disrupted collection of critical inflow water quality and flow data, water and phosphorus budget updates are available only for treatment Cells 2, 3 and 4 this year, for which phosphorus (P) retention was higher than that of prior years. Mass removal of