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Biscayne Aquifer - General Information

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Map of Biscayne Aquifer
The Biscayne aquifer is located in the Southeastern Florida and is named for Biscayne Bay. The aquifer extends beneath several counties: Monroe, Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach (area of about 4,000 square kilometers). It is a costal aquifer that merges with the floor of the Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It slopes to a depth of 240 feet below sea level. It is made mostly of limestone sandstone and sand. The water in the aquifer tends to slowly flow to the east-southeast at rate of about 2 feet per day. However, this rate is not uniform. Canals other water openings affect the rate of flow.

The Biscayne aquifer is the major source of water for people living in South Florida. It is likely that demand for its water become greater. In 1998, the population of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties was approximately five million and was estimated to reach near seven million by 2010.

The Biscayne aquifer, along with the sand and gravel aquifer, the Floridian aquifer and a group of intermediate and surficial aquifers, comprise what is known as the Floridian aquifer system. This system of aquifers underlies the state of Florida and extends into parts of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Sources:
1). Miami-Dade County, Department of Environmental Resources Management. Biscayne Aquifer/Groundwater. http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/derm/Water/supply_biscayne_aquifer.asp
2) Browning, Michael. “The Era of Cheap Water Ends as Supplies Dwindle and Populations Grow, Cities Look to the Sea/” The Miami Herald. May, 27, 1998. Page 1A
3). U.S. Geological Survey. The Ground Water Atlas of the United States: Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, HA 730-G. By James A. Miller. Published in 1990. http://capp.water.usgs.gov/gwa/ch_g/index.html
4). Florida Department of State. Document: Florida Ground Water Conditions. September, 20, 1999. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/water/groundwater/docs/gw_conditions.pdf