Abstract

ABSTRACT: Direct measurements indicate that subsurface seepage in the littoral zone contributed 17.5 and 2.0 percent of the total hydraulic inputs, respectively, to Lakes Conway and Apopka, Florida. Two variations of seepage measuring devices were evaluated and gave relative standard deviations of 7 and 24 percent. Measurement inaccuracies were minimized by using large diameter (0.9 cm ID) plastic tubing. For a given transect perpendicular to shore, flow patterns were reproducible over time. Seepage flows ranged from 0 to 112 1/m2‐day and most were between 4 and 30 1/m2‐day. The detection limit was about 0.2 1/m2‐day for a one‐hour collection period. Seepage occured primarily within 30 m of shore and generally decreased exponentially with distance from shore. The shape of the bottom profile influenced flow patterns; lake bottoms with steeper slopes had higher flows that were compressed within a narrower zone. After a short‐term rain event at Lake Conway, seepage flows increased rapidly to 2.4 times the prerain flow for 1 h and decreased to near background within about 6 h.

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