Water for the Everglades: Application of the South Florida Systems Analysis Model

A screening model called the South Florida Systems Analysis Model (SFSAM) was developed to support the Central and South Florida Project Comprehensive Review Study (Restudy). The objective of the Restudy, performed by the Jacksonville District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District, was to recommend a plan for improving environmental quality and urban and agricultural water supply reliability affected by the Central and South Florida water management project. As a “modeler’s model,” SFSAM was limited in scope and was used primarily to assist analysts in the development of alternatives. Additionally, model results provided some insights to operating strategies that could be tested and refined through more detailed modeling of the alternatives. This review of SFSAM includes a brief overview of the Central and South Florida project, a description of the model formulation, some interesting technical challenges faced in modeling the system, and representative and interesting results from the model application.