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The
Rainbow River Watershed Management Plan
In
March 2005, Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) and
Marion County selected Jones Edmunds & Associates, Inc., to develop
the Rainbow River Watershed Management Plan following the SWFWMD’s Watershed
Management Program Guidelines and Specifications. The
majority of the 78-square-mile (50,000 acres) watershed is in the
southwestern portion of fast-growing Marion County, with a small portion
in Levy County. The watershed is highlighted by a first-magnitude spring that
serves as the headwaters to the Rainbow River.
Although
the Rainbow River is the primary surface connection from the watershed to
its receiving water—the Withlacoochee River—only a small portion of
the watershed contributes surface discharge to the Rainbow River.
Much of the watershed is internally drained by large natural
depressions with high-permeability soils.
From a modeling perspective, the Rainbow River requires a very
complete, robust stormwater model—one that is equally adept with
riverine systems, internally drained areas, and urban stormwater
infrastructure.
Jones
Edmunds selected ICPR as the model of choice for this study because of its
ability to readily model all of the stormwater elements in this watershed,
including bridges, non-prismatic open channels, culverts, drop structures,
interconnecting subbasin ‘saddles,’ variable-area floodplain storage
areas, and rating curves. Rating
curves were developed by Jones Edmunds staff using a mounding analysis and
available geotechnical data and entered into the ICPR model as outflowing
time-discharge relationships. The
model consists of over 1,300 subbasins and nearly 2,000 links and was
verified using high-water marks and flooding from known events.
The Watershed Management Plan that is supported by the model will
help to protect one of Florida’s natural wonders and the citizens of
Marion County.
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Project
Location
The
pristine Rainbow River and its 78-square mile watershed is located in
west central Florida in Marion and Levy Counties and drains into the
Withlacoochee River.
Location
Map
Contact
Information
For
more information on this project, please contact Brett
Cunningham with Jones Edmunds.
Rainbow
River, © Jones Edmunds
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