BCI Engineers and Scientists

St. Johns River Water Management District’s (SJRWMD) Minimum Flows and Levels (MFL) program, mandated by state water policy, establishes minimum flows and/or levels for lakes, rivers and streams, wetlands and groundwater aquifers. MFLs define the magnitude, frequency and duration of high, average, and low water events necessary to prevent significant ecological harm to aquatic habitats and wetlands from permitted water withdrawals. The MFLs program is subject to rule and provides technical support to the District’s regional water supply planning process and the consumptive use permitting program. The determinations of MFLs consider the protection of non-consumptive uses of water, including navigation, recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, and other natural resources.

The BCI team currently provides District staff with hydrologic and hydraulic modeling as well as field support services to include the following:

• Completing standard frequency & standard duration analysis of water level data & retrieving & collecting period-of record water level data for priority water bodies
• Comparing statistical analysis results to adopted MFLs & completing all documentation
• Compiling & analyzing available hydrologic data & calibrating models
• Developing hydrologic & hydraulic models for priority MFLs systems
• Reviewing District staff & contractor reports as needed
• Collecting & analyzing field data to determine MFLs for priority systems
• Constructing shallow groundwater wells at selected study sites for long-term ecological monitoring
• Updating/maintaining data files of water levels & water quality data obtained from monitoring wells, providing data entry quality control & preparing graphs & figures summarizing data trends
• Providing regular maintenance of all field equipment, vehicles & sampling sites
• Assisting with data quality assurance, data loading & maintenance of MFL relational database
• Maintaining field notes & necessary documentation associated with MFL determinations & applied research efforts