Orange County Public Works
Stormwater Management Division
Rainfall Program Summary
January 1 - December 31, 2015
CONTENTS
2 - 2015 Rainfall Year in Review
3 - Major Accomplishments in 2015
4 - Spotlight on Lake Conway
5 - Typical Rainfall Station
- Rainfall Station Quick Facts
6 - A Brief History of the Rainfall Program
- Glossary of Terms
7 - Rainfall Telemetry Map
8 - Rainfall Station Inventory
9 - Who Uses Our Data
10 - 2015 Monthly Totals
11 - Rainfall Summaries
12 - Future Plans
- Need More Information?
13 - Our Partners & Acknowledgments
WELCOME
As a division, we are striving to be more streamlined and
environmentally friendly. Along these lines we are now publishing in
newsletter format to save paper and promote electronic delivery.
In this report, we highlight our accomplishments and successes
achieved over the past year, as well as detail our goals for sustainability
and efficiency in the coming year.
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
1
In 2015, the countywide
average rainfall (48.65
inches) was slightly
below the normal
rainfall of 50.73 inches
established at the
Orlando International
Airport (OIA).
Michael's Dam
Michael's
Dam
Lake Conway
Lake
Conway
Lake Maitland
Lake Maitland
OIA
OIA
Lake Jennifer
Lake
Jennifer
O.C. National
O.C.Lake
National
Hart
Hart
Orange CountyLake
Average
Orange County
Average
Riverside
Acres
Riverside
Acres
Shingle Creek
Shingle
Boggy Creek
Boggy
SpringCreek
Lake
Spring
Lake
Lake Orlando
Lake
Lake Orlando
Apopka
Lake
LakeApopka
Sheen
Lake
Sheen
Lake
Beauclair
Lake Beauclair0.00
0.00
August was the wettest
month of the year and exceeded the OIA
monthly average rainfall by 5 inches.
Rainfall totals were 10 inches above
average at Lake Conway. However, from
October through December, the rainfall
totals were well below normal.
As can be seen in the Monthly Rainfall
Departure graph (right), the cumulative
countywide rainfall is compared to
normal rainfall throughout the year. The
cumulative total varied widely between
June and December.
The year ended in a below-average annual
total as noted above.
10.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
20.00
Recorded Rainfall 30.00
(inches)
40.00
40.00
58.92
58.92
58.37
55.10 58.37
55.10
54.08
54.08
51.19
51.19
50.00
50.00
49.73
49.73
48.65
48.65
46.84
46.84
46.07
46.07
45.48
45.48
45.32
45.32
OIA Normal Rainfall 50.73"
44.24
OIA Normal Rainfall 50.73"
44.24
44.21
44.21
42.87
42.87
42.83
42.83
50.00
60.00
50.00
60.00
Recorded Rainfall (inches)
Monthly Rainfall Departure
13.0
11.0
Rainfall (Inches)
2015
RAINFALL
YEAR IN
REVIEW
Rainfall Totals
Rainfall Totals
9.0
7.0
5.0
3.0
1.0
-1.0
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
-3.0
OIA Monthly Normal Rainfall
2015 Monthly Countywide Averages
Cumulative Deviation
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
2
MAJOR
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
IN 2015
New Location
Or
an
ge
Bl
os
so
m
1 The equipment for new rainfall stations have been installed
3 The new Orange Blossom Rainfall Station: Through our close
partnership with Orange County Environmental Protection
Division (EPD), we have relocated the Lake Orlando Rainfall
Station to the north end of the lake (near Cinderlane Parkway
& Orange Blossom Trail). This will enable EPD to monitor water
quality at a critical sampling location and piggyback on our
existing telemetry to communicate these measurements
back to the office.
kw
r
o
P
ak
O
d
lan
N. L
of the 2G wireless modems and radio frequency antennas at
our rainfall and pump stations with 4G wireless modems.
This allows for faster reporting and more efficient data
storage and analysis.
e
station operation.
2 The entire telemetry system was upgraded by replacing all
il
y
at nine locations countywide and will be operational
by Summer 2016. These locations coincide with County
stormwater pump stations which already have telemetry
capabilities. This expansion will benefit Stormwater’s
ongoing Watershed Master Plan Updates by establishing
a correlation between rainfall amounts and pump
Tr
a
Old Location
S. Lake Orlando Pkwy
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
3
The stage is continuously recorded at
the Lake Conway Rainfall Station and
Stormwater Management Division staff
was able to quickly note the elevated
lake level. To temporarily relieve the
high water level, the weir boards at
the Lake Conway’s Daetwyler Road
and the downstream Lake Mare Prairie
outfall structures were removed. This
was performed in strict accordance
with the operating schedule defined in
the South Florida Water Management
District (SFWMD) permit. As soon as
the lake level fell to the NHWE, the weir
boards were reinstalled to maintain
normal water levels and minimize
impact to downstream areas.
SPOTLIGHT ON LAKE CONWAY
Lake Conway received more than 17 inches of rainfall in August, as compared to
the expected 7.13 inches (reference value at OIA). This caused elevated stages that
exceeded the lake’s normal high water elevation (NHWE) and raised concerns from
residents living on the lake.
As a follow up with those affected
residents, County staff attended
the October 13th Advisory Board
meeting of the Lake Conway Water
and Navigation Control District. Staff
reviewed the water level history of
Lake Conway, described the County’s
response to elevated lake levels and
answered general inquiries about
Lake Conway.
Lake Mare Prairie Outfall Weir
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
4
TYPICAL RAINFALL STATION
Each of the County’s 14 rainfall stations are strategically located to maximize coverage of
the County, with considerations for ease of access / equipment calibration and susceptibility
to vandalism. All collected data is transmitted from each station via cellular modem. With
this technology, it is possible to monitor the stations in real-time from the Stormwater
Management Division office and address problems as they occur.
Rainfall station
assembly at Orange
Blossom location
RAINFALL
STATION
QUICK FACTS
14 stations total
ine future stations to
N
be online in 2016
urrently located in
C
10 of the County’s 12
drainage basins
Tipping Bucket
Cellular Antenna
20 Watt Solar Panel
Enclosure (stainless steel)
Measurement and
Control Datalogger
Cellular Modem
Voltage Regulator
Dessicant Packages
(to control moisture)
12 Volt Battery
Enclosure box at
Lake Hart location
S tations utilize solar
panels for power
ata is measured in
D
five-minute increments
S tations send rainfall
measurements to
Orange County servers
three times per day
ata is transmitted by
D
cellular (4G)
S tation maintenance
checks are performed
every three months
ain gauge calibrations
R
are performed every six
months
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
5
GLOSSARY
OF TERMS
A BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE RAINFALL PROGRAM
1986
1987
1993
1995
1998-2001
2001
2002
2007
2010
2009
2011
2012
2012
2015-2016
-
Rainfall program began with 5 stations, staff visited stations
on a regular basis to download data
EPD: Orange County Environmental
Protection Division
Expansion to 9 stations
FCC: Federal Communications
Commission
Expansion to 10 stations
GOAA: Greater Orlando Aviation
Authority
Conversion to solar panel for power source
NHWE: Normal High Water Elevation,
elevation of a natural surface waterbody
during normal hydrological conditions
(See Orange County Code of Ordinances,
Chapter 30, Article IX, Sec. 30-308)
Conversion of equipment to transmit data by telephone modems
Stormwater Management Division received grant funding from
Florida Department of Community Affairs to install radio
frequency (RF) devices for real time communication
Expansion to 14 stations with radios, collection frequency
increased from 15 minutes to 5 minutes
Grant funding from Orange County Fire Department was
used to replace radios to comply with FCC regulations
Normal Rainfall: A historical average
annual rainfall amount established
by NOAA’s National Weather Service
(50.73”). This 30-year baseline was
determined from data collected at OIA
between 1981 and 2010.
First customer survey administered
OIA: Orlando International Airport
Installed water quality probes at 2 locations for EPD
data collection
RF: Radio Frequency
Began monthly and annual rainfall report
distribution by email
Replaced RF equipment with 2G wireless technology at Lake Apopka
& Lake Beauclair stations due to RF interference issues.
Implementation of internal web-based data viewer
“Vista Data Vision” to monitor rainfall system
Upgraded all stations to 4G wireless communication
SFWMD: South Florida Water
Management District
Storm event: a rainfall event that does
not have a gap or inter-event dry period
of more than four continuous hours
(from “Rainfall Analysis for Efficient
Retention Ponds”, Jacobsen et al., 1988)
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
6
RAINFALL TELEMETRY MAP
LEGEND
6
8. Orange County Natonal
9. Lake Sheen
10. Spring Lake
11. Shingle Creek
12. Boggy Creek
13. Lake Conway
14. Lake Hart
1. Lake Jennifer
2. Michael’s Dam
3. Lake Maitland
4. Riverside Acres
5. Lake Orlando
6. Lake Beauclair
7. Lake Apopka
a
iw r
ek ive
WR
Wekiva River
Drainage Basin
Existing Rainfall Stations
Lake Apopka
Drainage
Basin
Lake
Apopka
7
4
414
429
FLORIDA’S
TURNPIKE
3
4
Howell Branch
Drainage
Little Wekiva
Basin
Drainage
Basin
417
408
408
11
4
c
t
he
Lake
Conway
13
10
528
528
Boggy Creek
Drainage
Basin
528
Lake Hart
Drainage Basin
FLORIDA’S
TURNPIKE
429
Shingle Creek
Drainage Basin
4
12
417
417
St Johns River
Drainage Basin
Big Econ
Drainage
Basin
417
Lake
Hart
ns
Joh
St.R iver
Reedy Creek
Drainage Basin
1
e
9
lo ckha
r
R i ve
FLORIDA’S
TURNPIKE
Lake
Butler
Cypress Creek
Drainage Basin
Lake
Tibet
Butler
Eco
n
429
8
2
Little Econ
Drainage
Basin
408
Lake
Down
ns
Joh r
St. R ive
5
Future Stations
14
Lake
Mary
Jane
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
7
RAINFALL STATION INVENTORY
‹ Lake Jennifer (1)
‹ Lake Beauclair (6)
‹ Michael’s Dam (2)
‹ Lake Apopka (7)
‹ Lake Maitland (3)
‹ Orange Co. National (8)
•Big Econ Drainage Basin
•Installed 2012
•Measures rainfall & stage
•Located on Lake Jennifer
•Little Econ Drainage Basin
•Installed 1986
•Measures rainfall, stage & flow
•Located in Blanchard Park
•Howell Branch Drainage Basin
•Installed 1987
•Measures rainfall, stage & flow
•Located on Horatio Avenue
•Lake Apopka Drainage Basin
•Installed 1995
•Measures rainfall & stage
•Located at Trimble Park dock
•Lake Apopka Drainage Basin
•Installed 2002
•Measures rainfall
•Located at Magnolia Park
•Reedy Creek Drainage Basin
•Installed 2002
•Measures rainfall
•Located at Orange County National
Golf Course
‹ Riverside Acres (4)
‹ Lake Sheen (9)
‹ Lake Orlando (5)
‹ Spring Lake (10)
•Little Wekiva Drainage Basin
•Installed 1989
•Measures rainfall, stage & flow
•Located south of Pembrook Drive
•Little Wekiva Drainage Basin
•Installed 1989
•Measures rainfall & stage
•Replaced with the Orange Blossom
Station in late 2015
•Cypress Creek Drainage Basin
•Installed 2002
•Measures rainfall & stage
•Located at West Beach Park
•Shingle Creek Drainage Basin
•Installed 1989
•Measures rainfall & stage & flow
•Located at Sand Lake Road
Lift Station
(Continued on next page)
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
8
RAINFALL STATION FACTS
(Continued)
WHO USES OUR DATA
‹ Shingle Creek (11)
More than 100 subscribers receive our annual and monthly reports.
County subscribers include Commissioners’ offices and other
divisions within Orange County. Other governments also receive
our data as well as engineering consulting firms, utility companies,
media and interested citizens.
‹ Boggy Creek (12)
Our first customer survey was administered in 2009 to gauge
customer satisfaction. Overall, there was positive feedback and
most subscribers found the rainfall information useful to meet
their needs. There was varied uses of this information, the most
interesting of which was to help search parties look for missing
persons (Orange County Parks and Recreation).
•Shingle Creek Drainage Basin
•Installed 1987
•Measures rainfall & stage
•Located on Conroy Road
•Boggy Creek Drainage Basin
•Installed 1987
•Measures rainfall & stage
•Located on Landstar Boulevard
‹ Lake Conway (13)
•Boggy Creek Drainage Basin
•Installed 2002
•Measures rainfall & stage
•Located on Daetwyler Road
‹ Lake Hart (14)
•Lake Hart Drainage Basin
•Installed 1995
•Measures rainfall & stage
•Located at Moss Park entrance
Gov’t
Local
7%
Gov’t
Gov’t Federal
State
Media
9%
1%
1%
Misc
2%
Utility
County
56%
Consultant
2%
20%
Contractor
1%
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
9
2015 MONTHLY TOTALS
Station Name
JAN
FEB MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC TOTAL
Lake Jennifer
Michael’s Dam
Lake Maitland
Riverside Acres
Lake Orlando
Lake Beauclair
Lake Apopka
Orange Co. National
Lake Sheen
Spring Lake
Shingle Creek
Boggy Creek
Lake Conway
Lake Hart
2015 County Average
OIA Normal Rainfall
Deviation From
OIA Normal Rainfall
2.00
3.69
3.08
2.86
3.50
3.09
1.65
1.94
2.87
3.09
3.99
3.32
4.12
2.94
3.01
2.35
4.72
4.47
4.96
4.44
4.95
3.18
3.76
4.86
5.37
4.74
4.69
4.91
4.88
4.29
4.59
2.38
1.77
1.05
1.13
0.75
0.50
1.09
0.87
1.34
0.90
0.58
0.70
0.51
0.68
0.93
0.91
3.77
5.56
5.34
4.91
2.80
3.09
2.56
2.78
4.99
3.93
3.00
2.82
3.50
5.70
5.68
4.05
2.68
1.25
0.99
1.41
0.89
0.95
1.26
2.59
0.54
0.75
0.93
1.73
0.36
1.31
0.57
1.11
3.45
5.90
4.91
4.32
4.60
3.85
4.21
4.68
6.04
6.87
8.93
9.72
7.16
6.29
6.60
6.01
7.58
7.87
11.35
10.23
9.16
9.19
7.72
9.54
7.44
4.04
6.65
6.13
5.32
6.78
8.77
7.87
7.27
10.34
13.70
13.75
12.07
10.38
11.26
10.41
13.41
11.61
9.61
10.43
13.60
17.42
12.40
12.17
7.13
6.82
6.24
8.40
7.25
6.16
5.44
6.38
6.33
4.33
5.43
3.08
3.22
6.53
4.21
5.70
6.06
0.25
0.46
0.88
0.38
0.39
1.00
0.38
0.94
0.82
0.68
0.77
0.96
0.49
0.38
0.63
3.31
3.84
5.03
1.56
1.26
1.00
1.83
0.87
1.68
0.81
1.11
1.47
2.11
2.59
2.33
1.96
2.17
0.87
1.69
0.47
0.38
0.28
0.19
0.30
0.49
0.57
0.57
0.54
0.51
1.58
0.63
0.65
2.58
51.19
58.92
55.10
46.84
44.24
42.83
44.21
50.00
42.87
45.32
46.07
45.48
58.37
49.73
48.65
50.73
0.66
2.21
-2.86
1.37
-2.34
-1.57
0.60
5.04
-0.36
-2.68
-0.21
-1.93
-2.08
NOTES: 1.) All the above data are in inches. 2.) Numbers highlighted in yellow represent adjusted values to account for non-recorded or bad data points.
Contact Frank Fortunato (see page 12) for the source data for these values.
WHAT WE MEASURE
Rainfall totals (by day
and by storm event)
Lake stage
Flow
Water quality parameters, including
temperature, conductivity, pH and
dissolved oxygen (at select locations
and managed by EPD)
Daily rainfall totals can be found online at
www.orange.wateratlas.usf.edu/
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
10
RAINFALL
[ > 6.00 hr ] SUMMARIES
QUICK FACT:
Events
from16162
Recorded Storms
10%
[ 1.01-6.00 hr ]
59 Events
37% Amount
Rainfall
Summary
[ 0.26-1 hr ]
26 Events
16%
[ 0.02-0.25
hr ]
▼[ 1.01-2.00
in ]
60 Events
11 Events
[ 0.11-1.0 in ]
62 Events
▼
[ Greater than
6.00 hr ]
53%
16 Events
10%
3 Events
2%
2 in.
[ 1.01-6.00 hr ]
59 Events
37%
[ Less than
0.10 in ]
86 Events
53%
2%
of storm events in
Central Florida
receive 1 inch or less
of rainfall
86 Events
[ Greater than
2.00 in ]
38%
[ > 2.00 in ]
3 Events
[ 0.01-0.10 in ]
37%
7%
62 Events
7%
Rainfall Duration 38%
Summary
11 Events
[ 0.11-1.0 in ]
90%
[ 1.01-2.00 in ]
[ 0.26-1 hr ]
[ Less than
0.25 hr ]
60 Events
37%
1 in.
26 Events
16%
.10 in.
Rainfall Amount Summary
Rainfall Duration Summary
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
11
FUTURE PLANS
The County is looking for ways to streamline our efforts
and improve our services for the Rainfall Program.
Our goals for the coming year are:
1. Bring the new rain gauge equipment installed at
9 pump stations countywide online.
2.
Evaluate the cost effectiveness of upgrading our rainfall stations to
increase data transmission from three times per day to every five
minutes.
3.
Explore the option to share our data online in real-time to
facilitate the distribution of data and streamline our work efforts
on data requests.
4.
5.
NEED MORE
INFORMATION?
The data provided in this report is a brief
summary of the data collected over the past
year. For more detailed information or to
subscribe to our rainfall reports,
please contact:
Frank Fortunato
407-836-7748
[email protected]
Coordinate with EPD to relocate selected stations to measure water
quality in critical areas of the County. In conjunction with this effort,
we are also considering adding new stations to the rainfall network in
critical riverine environments. They would include water quality probes
and possibly stream flow gauges.
Increase subscribership for our rainfall reports.
6.
Distribute another customer survey to gauge interest
and gather recommendations on how to improve
our program to meet the needs of our users
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
12
OUR PARTNERS
and
Orange County Environmental Protection Division
Orange County Utilities
This report was prepared by
the Rainfall Team:
With acknowledgments to our
Operations Team:
Rodney J. Lynn, P.E., CFM
Manager
Jeff Charles, FPEM
Public Works Coordinator
Mike Drozeck, P.E., CFM
Chief Engineer
Dave McMullen
Senior Foreman
Kelly Nowell, P.E., CFM, LEED AP
Senior Engineer
Lee Owens
Foreman
Frank Fortunato
Engineering Technician IV
Public Works Stormwater Management Division Rainfall Program
13