A spreadsheet-based screening model for evaluating alternative water management strategies for Lake Okeechobee, Florida
Conference
Neidrauer, CJ, Cadavid, LG, Trimble, PJ et al. (2006). A spreadsheet-based screening model for evaluating alternative water management strategies for Lake Okeechobee, Florida
. 2006 354-363. 10.1061/40875(212)35
Neidrauer, CJ, Cadavid, LG, Trimble, PJ et al. (2006). A spreadsheet-based screening model for evaluating alternative water management strategies for Lake Okeechobee, Florida
. 2006 354-363. 10.1061/40875(212)35
The state of Florida and the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers are designing and building massive water resource infrastructure to store excess water for the restoration of the Everglades and to provide for increasing water supply needs of southern Florida. With each phase of implementation of new storage areas there is a need to revise the operating rules for Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee is the second largest freshwater lake located wholly-within the continental United States. Previous operating rules have been developed with the South Florida Water Management Model (SFWMM). The SFWMM is a regional-scale computer model that simulates the hydrology and the management of the water resources system from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. Although the SFWMM is the best available tool for performing a comprehensive evaluation, it is not suitable for quickly testing a broad range of ideas for operating the lake. The rapidly growing population of south Florida has led to an increase in stakeholders and a corresponding need to educate them about the capabilities and constraints of the water control system. Some of the stakeholders also have their own ideas for managing the lake that they would like to see tested with the SFWMM. However because the SFWMM is a large and complex model, it cannot be used to effectively test a large number of varied operating strategies. The need exists for a screening model that provides immediate feedback to analysts and stakeholders. The increasing utility and computational power of the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software made it a logical platform for building a new tool known as the Lake Okeechobee Operations Screening (LOOPS) model. The LOOPS model is a simple model of the hydrology and operations of Lake Okeechobee and its primary outlets. Analysts can use LOOPS to easily test a broad variety of operating strategies and receive instant feedback showing the performance for the primary lake-management objectives. This paper describes the Lake Okeechobee Operations Screening Model structure and some of its capabilities for screening alternative operating schedules. Copyright ASCE 2006.
