176 1 Division of Administrative Hearings 2 Department of Administration, State of Florida 3 SUGAR CANE GROWERS COOPERATIVE ) 4 of FLORIDA; ROTH FARMS, INC.; and ) WEDGWORTH FARMS, Inc., ) 5 Petitioners ) V ) DOAH Case 6 SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT ) No. 92-3038 DISTRICT, an agency of the State ) 7 of Florida; et al., ) Respondents. ) 8 ) FLORIDA SUGAR CANE LEAGUE, INC.; ) 9 UNITED STATES SUGAR CORPORATION; ) and NEW HOPE SOUTH, INC., ) 10 Petitioners, ) V ) DOAH Case 11 SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT ) No. 92-3039 DISTRICT, an agency of the State ) 12 of Florida; et al., ) Respondents. ) 13 ) FLORIDA FRUIT and VEGETABLE ) 14 ASSOCIATION; LEWIS POPE FARMS; ) W. E. SCHLECHTER & SONS, INC., ) 15 and HUNDLEY FARMS, INC., ) Petitioners, ) 16 V ) DOAH Case SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT ) No. 92-3040 17 DISTRICT, an agency of the State ) of Florida; et al., ) 18 Respondents. ) 19 VOLUME II 20 DEPOSITION OF WOSSENU ABTEW, Ph.D. 21 Taken before Rachel W. Bridge, Professional Reporter and Notary Public in and for the State of 22 Florida at large, pursuant to notice of taking deposition filed by the Plaintiffs in the above 23 cause. - - - 24 Friday, January 8, 1992 319 Clematis Street, Suite 500 25 West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 9:15 a.m. - 2:20 P.m. 177 1 APPEARANCES: 2 On behalf of the Petitioners Florida Sugar 3 Cane League, Inc., United States Sugar Corp., and New South Hope, Inc.: 4 Peeples, Earl & Blank, P.A. One Biscayne Tower, Suite 3636 5 Two South Biscayne Boulevard Miami, Florida 33131 6 By: MARK T. KOBELINSKI, ESQUIRE 7 On behalf of the Respondent SFWMD: South Florida Water Management District 8 3301 Gun Club Road West Palm Beach, Florida 33416-4680 9 By: JACQUELYN W. BIRCH, ESQUIRE 10 On behalf of Sugar Cane Growers: Hopping, Boyd, Green & Sams 11 123 South Calhoun Street Tallahassee, Florida 32301 12 By: GARY V. PERKO, ESQUIRE 13 Also Present: Andrew MacNeil 178 1 - - - 2 I N D E X 3 - - - 4 WITNESS: DIRECT CROSS REDIRECT RECROSS 5 WOSSENU ABTEW, Ph.D. 6 BY MR. KOBELINSKI 179 BY MR. PERKO 320 7 8 9 - - - 10 E X H I B I T S 11 - - - 12 NUMBER PAGE DESCRIPTION 13 ABTEW EXHIBIT 13 198 Figure 2, Study area 14 flow control structures 15 ABTEW EXHIBIT 14 287 Memo of 10-24-91 from J. Obeysekera to Tony Federico 16 179 1 P R O C E E D I N G S 2 - - - 3 CONTINUED CROSS (Wossenu Abtew, Ph.D.) 4 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 5 Q. Good morning, Dr. Abtew. This is a 6 continuation of your deposition we commenced 7 yesterday. 8 I would remind you that you are still under 9 oath and we will be following the same procedure 10 where I will be asking you questions to find out 11 essentially what information you have, all right? 12 A. All right. 13 Q. If we could, just a couple of quick 14 clean-up items. 15 If I could draw your attention to what was 16 marked as Exhibit 5 to your deposition yesterday, 17 which is the Draft Everglades Research Plan, which 18 has various Bates numbers, but commencing at 0946742. 19 In particular, I believe you had identified 20 at Bates page 0946793 two projects that you had -- 21 I'm not sure if the term is designed or developed. 22 If you could perhaps turn to that and refresh my 23 recollection in that regard, and those were 2.A.2 13 24 and 2.B.2 21. 25 Do you recall that? 180 1 A. Yes. Developed. 2 Q. When you say developed, does that mean you 3 did the design program for it or what exactly does 4 developed mean in this context? 5 A. Developed plan for these projects. 6 Q. The research plan? 7 A. Yes. 8 Q. Okay. With regard to project number 2.A.2 9 13, what does that 13 refer to? And I'm referring to 10 that second row where it says Project 11 Number/Priority. 12 A. I don't know. I didn't put this document 13 together. Maybe it is a reference to a page or 14 something. 15 Q. Drawing your attention to page B-22, which 16 I believe in the final row on the page we were 17 looking for is the reference page for project 2.A.2, 18 and that page bears Bates number 0946809, and that 19 page is entitled Chemical Mass Balance -- 20 MS. BIRCH: Note my objection as to 21 relevancy related to the Everglades Research 22 Plan. 23 MR. KOBELINSKI: Okay. 24 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 25 Q. Is this one of the plans that you have 181 1 developed the plan for? 2 A. Yes. 3 Q. Is this an ongoing study that's already 4 taken place? 5 A. It's not yet started. 6 Q. Drawing your attention to approximately the 7 middle of that page where it says Task Description, 8 and to the right there is essentially a flow chart 9 showing what tasks are to be completed and conducted 10 during what years, the first task mentioned is 11 assemble data. 12 Has that already commenced? 13 A. No. 14 Q. Is this chart incorrect then? 15 MS. BIRCH: Objection to relevancy. 16 I'd like to have a standing objection to 17 relevancy related to this testimony about the 18 Everglades Research Plan. 19 THE WITNESS: It didn't go according to the 20 plan. 21 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 22 Q. Has any data been assembled as yet? 23 A. Not to my knowledge. 24 Q. So there has been no data collection or 25 analysis of data at this point in time? 182 1 A. With regard to this project, yes. 2 Q. Okay. The third task is develop water 3 budgets. 4 What water budgets would be referred to in 5 that particular task? 6 A. The water budget is a reference to the area 7 covered by EPA, Everglades Protection Area. 8 Q. And have any of those water budgets been 9 commenced? 10 A. Not with regard to this project. 11 Q. To your knowledge, have any water budgets 12 been done for the EPA by the District? 13 A. For the EAA, I know I have done one. 14 Q. And we discussed that yesterday. 15 To your knowledge, have any water budgets 16 been done for the EPA? 17 A. Not that I can recall. 18 Q. Okay. The next task is develop nutrient 19 budgets. 20 Have any nutrient budgets been prepared for 21 the EPA? 22 A. Not according to this project. 23 Q. When you say not according to this project, 24 are there going to be, are there separate nutrient 25 budgets prepared for each individual project or does 183 1 the District prepare one budget and use it for its 2 various research projects? 3 A. I don't know what the District's plan, what 4 are the plans in the District with regard to the EPA. 5 With regard to the project I have 6 developed, nothing yet has been done. 7 Q. Okay. Under Contracts there, do you see 8 that in approximately the middle of the page? 9 A. Yes. 10 Q. What is FTEs under that? What does FTE 11 stand for? 12 A. Full-time employee. 13 Q. And what do the Es indicate to the right of 14 FTE after Professor .60, et cetera? 15 A. Stands for existing employee. 16 Q. In other words, no new employees are 17 intended to be hired for this plan? 18 A. That's right. 19 Q. Do you know when this plan is supposed to 20 be commenced? 21 A. I don't know exactly when it's going to be 22 started. 23 Q. Did you develop the flow chart as far as 24 the timing for the tasks that you see, for year 25 91-92, for year 92-93, with the bars showing when the 184 1 task is to be complete? 2 A. Yes. 3 Q. Have you revised that? 4 A. I have revised both projects, but I can't 5 tell you what changes I have made. 6 Q. When did you prepare this flow chart? 7 A. Before July 10, 1992. I don't remember the 8 specific date. 9 Q. Was it during 1992? 10 A. During 1992. 11 Q. Well, given that it was during 1992, your 12 flow chart shows the task had commenced in '91. 13 A. I don't remember exactly when I put this 14 chart together. 15 Q. Do you believe it was prior to July of 16 1991? 17 A. I don't want to make a guess. I have to 18 refer to my schedule or documents to see when exactly 19 this chart was made. 20 Q. Does this help refresh your recollection 21 that you did not do this in 1992? 22 A. I don't remember when it was put together. 23 I don't remember the exact date. 24 Q. I understand you don't remember the exact 25 date. A few minutes ago you testified it was during 185 1 1992. 2 Is it still your testimony it was during 3 1992? 4 A. No, I would not like to speculate that way. 5 I don't remember exactly when it was put together. 6 Q. Do you recall when you were given the task 7 of putting together the draft research plans for the 8 Draft Everglades Research Plan? 9 When was this document which is marked as 10 Exhibit 5, when did they start working on this? 11 A. I don't remember the exact date when. 12 Q. I'm not looking for an exact date. Just 13 generally. 14 A. I don't remember the month either. 15 Q. Do you remember what year they started 16 working on it? 17 A. I'm not sure. Could be end of '91 or the 18 beginning of '92. I'm not certain. 19 Q. But it would have been either the end of 20 '91 or the beginning of '92? 21 MS. BIRCH: Objection, argumentative. 22 THE WITNESS: I don't want to make a guess. 23 MR. KOBELINSKI: Could you read back his 24 prior answer? 186 1 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 2 was read by the reporter.) 3 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 4 Q. Is that statement correct? 5 A. That's correct. 6 Q. All right. What information did you base 7 this bar chart on that's on page 0946809? 8 A. I don't understand your question. 9 Q. When does the bar chart show that the 10 assembled data task would commence? 11 MS. BIRCH: Objection, relevancy. 12 THE WITNESS: I don't understand the 13 question. 14 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 15 Q. I'm just asking you to read the chart, sir, 16 for me. 17 When does the assembled data task, when is 18 it scheduled to commence in the document that you 19 prepared? 20 A. According to the chart, it will be in 1993. 21 Q. The assembled data task? 22 A. There will be documents of the events. 23 Q. I'm asking about the first task, assemble 24 data, sir. 25 A. By 1992. 187 1 Q. It starts in 1992? 2 A. It starts at, it starts 1991. According on 3 the chart, that's what it shows. 4 Q. When in 1991? 5 A. There is no specific month specified in the 6 chart. 7 Q. Is the chart divided by quarters or halves? 8 A. It's divided by number. I can't tell from 9 this chart the number of divisions in the year. 10 Q. Well, does the chart have heavy black lines 11 and then lighter black lines in between? 12 A. No. It's just one line. 13 Q. I'm referring, sir, to the vertical lines. 14 Are there heavy, light, light light, heavy, 15 light, light, light, heavy, light light light, heavy? 16 A. Yes. 17 Q. Would that be divided into four 18 corresponding quarters for each year? 19 A. I have to check with my original draft. 20 Q. You can't tell from this whatsoever? 21 A. I can't tell from here. This is edited by 22 someone else, so I have to check with my draft to see 23 what -- 24 Q. Do you believe someone changed the dates 25 that you had listed for the tasks to be commenced? 188 1 A. I'm not saying that. 2 Q. Is it your belief that someone has? 3 A. I didn't say that. 4 Q. I'm not asking if that's what you said. 5 I'm asking is it your belief that someone has? 6 A. I didn't say that. 7 Q. Sir, I know you didn't say that. I'm 8 asking you. 9 Is it your belief that someone has changed 10 the dates for the starting or commencement of those 11 tasks? 12 A. There is no reason to believe that way. 13 Q. Okay. If those are divided up into four 14 equal quarters, does that show that the assembled 15 data task was supposed to start in the second quarter 16 or the end of the first quarter of year '91? 17 MS. BIRCH: Objection, asked and answered. 18 THE WITNESS: I have to check my original 19 document. 20 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 21 Q. Do you have your original document in that 22 regard? 23 A. I have to check. 24 Q. Sorry, just so I understand, you have to 25 check to see if you still retain the original; is 189 1 that what you are saying, sir? 2 A. I have to take my time and remember what I 3 did when I designed the research plan. 4 Q. How would you go about doing that? 5 MS. BIRCH: Continuing objection to the 6 relevancy of the Everglades Research Plan. 7 Dr. Abtew is designated as an expert 8 witness as to the EAA water budget, not the 9 research plan. 10 THE WITNESS: I have to go back and take my 11 time and see all of the reference so I can 12 recollect how I set up the project. 13 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 14 Q. What is the purpose of the project? 15 It says under Objective "develop nutrient 16 budgets for the major subsystems of the EPA." 17 Is that to develop an historical nutrient 18 budget? 19 A. It's objective, as stated in the document, 20 develop nutrient budgets for the major subsystems of 21 the EPA. 22 Q. Is that an historical nutrient budget? 23 A. Current and historical. It's not 24 specified. 25 Q. You developed the plan, though; is that 190 1 correct? 2 A. That's right. 3 Q. So you would know whether it's historic or 4 a model for developing hypothetical or a model that 5 could be used for a management alternative; is that 6 correct? 7 A. The plan has shown that to be the current, 8 but if you need the historical to make conclusions 9 with regard to the current results, then you will do 10 the historical analysis, too. 11 Q. Does the District currently have a nutrient 12 budget for the EPA? 13 MS. BIRCH: Objection, asked and answered, 14 objection to relevancy. 15 THE WITNESS: I don't know. 16 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 17 Q. Is that something you looked into when you 18 were developing your research plan? 19 A. I don't have control of the District, every 20 department's plans or what's being done. 21 Q. Does this research plan, is it a 22 multi-departmental or is it just within one 23 particular division or department of the District? 24 A. One division of the District. 25 Q. And when the division -- well, which 191 1 division is that? 2 A. Everglades Systems Research Division. 3 Q. And these are all research projects that 4 will be undertaken by the Everglades Systems Research 5 Division? 6 A. That's right. 7 Q. In developing the research plans, are those 8 to address research needs of the division? 9 A. Will you repeat your question? 10 Q. Perhaps I'll rephrase it. 11 When the division goes ahead and prepares a 12 research plan, is it to address issues or research 13 that they see are required, are necessary? 14 A. I am not in that capacity to answer for the 15 division. The division director is the one who knows 16 what the reasons are. 17 Q. What is your understanding of it? 18 MS. BIRCH: Understanding of what? 19 THE WITNESS: Understanding of what? 20 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 21 Q. What is your understanding of what research 22 or why the Everglades System Research Division 23 develops a research plan? 24 MS. BIRCH: Objection. 25 THE WITNESS: The reasons are explained in 192 1 the document itself. You can refer to the 2 sections why such plan is developed. 3 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 4 Q. Is it generally to address research that's 5 needed within the area covered by the Everglades 6 System Research Division? 7 A. My answer is again the objectives for the 8 research are stated in the document itself. 9 Q. I'm asking for your understanding of it, 10 sir. 11 MS. BIRCH: Objection, assumes he has an 12 understanding on the research plan. 13 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 14 Q. Do you have any understanding of why the 15 division prepares a research plan? 16 A. It is stated in the research plan and I can 17 get to the page and read for you. 18 Q. Okay, if you could identify that for me, 19 please. 20 A. Starting from page 0946748 to page 0946776. 21 Q. Essentially the entire document less its 22 appendices; is that correct? 23 A. Yes, you have to read that to get the 24 objectives and the details why the project is in the 25 research plan. 193 1 Q. I'm sorry, perhaps you misunderstood my 2 question. 3 My question is not why each particular 4 project is in the research plan. I'm asking a 5 general question. 6 Are projects planned by the Everglades 7 System Research Division of the South Florida Water 8 Management District, the research plan, to address 9 areas that they have recognized require additional 10 research? 11 MS. BIRCH: Objection, asked and answered. 12 MR. KOBELINSKI: I agree it's been asked. 13 I'm not sure if it's been answered. 14 MS. BIRCH: You might not like the answer, 15 but he has answered. 16 THE WITNESS: In the pages I already 17 stated, the objectives and the details of why 18 this research is done is documented. 19 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 20 Q. And what is your understanding of what 21 those pages state? 22 MS. BIRCH: Objection, assumes facts not in 23 evidence. 24 MR. KOBELINSKI: The witness can tell me he 25 has absolutely no understanding of how he 194 1 planned the research. 2 MS. BIRCH: He hasn't. That wasn't the 3 question. 4 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 5 Q. Do you have any understanding of why the 6 research plan was prepared? 7 A. Yes, as it is stated in those pages. I can 8 read it for you. 9 Q. Without reading it, do you have any 10 understanding? 11 A. Understanding of what? 12 Q. Of why the division prepared a research 13 plan. 14 A. It is stated in the pages that I already 15 mentioned for you. 16 Q. I understand that, and I'm saying without 17 reading it, do you have any understanding of why the 18 research plan was prepared? 19 A. As it is stated in the document, I 20 understand it that way. 21 Q. And what does the document say? 22 Could you summarize that for me, sir? 23 MS. BIRCH: Objection, argumentative. It's 24 not relevant to Dr. Abtew's designated area of 25 expertise. 195 1 Dr. Abtew, if you have a general 2 understanding of the purpose of the research 3 plan, you can answer, but if you don't -- 4 THE WITNESS: I can read it, the objective, 5 from the document for you. 6 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 7 Q. Again, sir, I'm not asking for a verbatim 8 reading of the objectives. I'm just asking do you or 9 don't you have a general understanding of why a 10 research plan was prepared? 11 A. As it is stated in the document in the page 12 I already mentioned for you. 13 Q. Okay. Now have you read those pages? 14 A. I have read those pages. 15 Q. Okay. And are you capable of generally 16 summarizing then the purpose for the research plan? 17 A. I would rather read the objective to 18 represent it as it is than give my basis of 19 recollection of what I read. 20 Q. Let's set this aside for a moment, doctor. 21 Was the Holey Land included in your study 22 area for the draft water budget for the EAA which has 23 been marked as Exhibit Number 2 to your deposition? 24 A. No, it was not included. 25 Q. And why not? 196 1 A. It is a separate basin by itself, leveed 2 around and separate from the ag area. 3 Q. Is it geographically part of the Everglades 4 Agricultural Area? 5 A. Geographically it is at the corner of the 6 ag area, but it is not agricultural land. 7 Q. What other portions of the geographic 8 Everglades Agricultural Area were not included in 9 your study which is Exhibit 2 to the deposition? 10 A. What do you mean was not included? 11 Q. Were there any other geographic portions of 12 the Everglades Agricultural Area that you did not 13 include in your study area for the water budget 14 analysis of the Everglades Agricultural Area? 15 A. It is included in the study. There is a 16 map which shows that the Holey Land is part of the 17 study, but it is not considered as agricultural land. 18 Q. Is there a specific study area that was 19 studied for Exhibit 2, the water budget analysis for 20 the Everglades Agricultural Area? 21 A. On page 0900255, and the Holey Land is 22 included in the study area, but not as agricultural 23 land, as wetland, impoundment. 24 Q. Did you then include the rainfall data, 25 evapotranspiration and all the other data from the 197 1 Holey Land in preparing the water budget that is 2 reflected in Exhibit 2? 3 A. You didn't understand how it is calculated. 4 There is no water getting into -- you have to read 5 the whole document to find out what exactly is, how 6 the water budget is computed. 7 Q. I'm not really asking how the water budget, 8 the entire document explains the water budget. 9 My question is I'm attempting to determine 10 what the study area was that is reflected in 11 Exhibit 2, your water budget for the EAA. 12 Were the Holey Land and the Rotenberger 13 land tracts, were they included in the study area? 14 A. Yes, they are in the study area. 15 Q. Did you, for instance, when you were 16 collecting rainfall data and conducting your analysis 17 with the, I believe it's called Thiessen weighted 18 averages, did you include that area in calculating 19 the rainfall for the EAA? 20 A. Yes, because it is in the study area. 21 Q. Did you include that area for 22 evapotranspiration? 23 A. Let me check. 24 Yes, it was included. 25 Q. Okay. 198 1 MR. KOBELINSKI: Could you mark that as an 2 exhibit? 3 (The document was marked 4 Abtew Exh. No. 13.) 5 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 6 Q. Dr. Abtew, I'm showing you what's been 7 marked as Exhibit Number 13 to your deposition, which 8 is draft page 13 of what's previously been marked as 9 Exhibit 2 to your deposition, so it likewise bears 10 Bates number 0900255, and of course it's a two-sided 11 document, so the back page is 0900256. 12 Could you explain to me how do you prepare 13 or how is it you go about doing Thiessen weighted 14 averages for rainfall given the nine stations' 15 rainfall gauges you had in the EAA? 16 A. It is stated in the document in detail. I 17 can refer you to the page where it is mentioned. 18 Q. Please do. 19 A. From Exhibit 2, page 0900252 to page 20 0900254. 21 Q. In preparing a Thiessen average, is it 22 necessary to draw a diagram using the rain gauges to 23 determine the areas that will be averaged? 24 A. Not always. 25 Q. In what circumstances don't you have to? 199 1 A. You can use a computer program which can 2 take all that into account and compute the weights, 3 like which is done in this document. 4 Q. So in this document, which is Exhibit 2, 5 and the reference pages you provided, 0900252 through 6 254, you used a computer program to prepare the 7 Thiessen areas in the weighted averages where you 8 calculated? 9 A. Yes. 10 Q. What computer program was that? 11 A. It's referenced on page 0900253 at the last 12 paragraph. 13 Q. And that's the Shih and Hamrick's model? 14 A. That's right. 15 Q. When you are using that model, does it 16 actually show you the areas that each gauge covers? 17 Does it graphically -- are you able to see that? 18 A. No, you don't see it graphically. You get 19 the proportion of the area covered by each station. 20 You don't see it graphically. 21 Q. And is there somewhere in the document 22 which indicates the area covered by each station? 23 A. On page 0900254, Table 4. 24 Q. How would I go about figuring out what area 25 was covered by each station using that table? 200 1 A. You can multiply the whole area by each 2 coefficient. Then you find out how much area offhand 3 is covered by each station. 4 Q. In doing so, to the right of the station 5 there is a title Computed Weight, and then there are 6 three rows, all stations, station dropped and station 7 dropped. 8 Could you explain to me what those three 9 rows are and how they would affect the area covered 10 by each station? 11 A. The first column, all stations, those are 12 the proportions that each station covers if all the 13 stations have data. 14 Second column is station MRF182, doesn't 15 have data for some time, and it is dropped. 16 Then the remaining eight stations shares 17 and covers that area, so we have a new set of 18 coefficients. 19 Q. And I would only use those coefficients 20 whenever I came across MRF182 with missing, with an 21 entire month of missing data; is that correct? 22 A. When you get missing data for that station, 23 use those coefficients for that period. 24 Q. And likewise, I would use the right-hand 25 column only when I have missing data for MRF98? 201 1 A. Yes. 2 Q. With regard to the five new stations that 3 is referenced in the bottom of that page 0900254 of 4 Exhibit 2, when have those stations been installed, 5 or have they as yet? 6 A. I don't know when they are installed and 7 how many of them are installed, but the 8 responsibility was another division which is not 9 where I am. 10 Q. Was it your understanding when you drafted 11 this that five new stations would be installed? 12 A. Yes, and I think some of them for sure are 13 installed. I'm not sure when and if all of them are 14 installed right now. 15 Q. Do you know approximately where they were 16 intended to be installed or are installed? 17 A. Have to see the map where they are actually 18 designed to be before estimating where they are. 19 Q. Have you ever seen that map before? 20 A. I am the one who designed the network. 21 Q. Given the fact that you designed the 22 network, would you be able to tell just generally 23 where they are? 24 Are they on the perimeter as the other 25 gauges are? 202 1 Are they on the interior? 2 A. They are on the interior. 3 Q. Are they along the major canals? 4 A. Yes. 5 Q. Are all of them along the major canals? 6 A. Yes. 7 Q. Which canals are they along, all four major 8 canals? 9 A. Yes, four major canals I think have one 10 station close to one of them along the route. 11 Q. Do you recall at all generally where, 12 approximately in the middle or the north or south 13 ends of, for instance, the Miami Canal? 14 A. Generally they are located in the middle of 15 the EAA all the way from the west to the east, but I 16 can't tell exactly where each one is. 17 Q. Given your reference to five stations and 18 then there are four major canals, does one canal have 19 two new gauges or was there a fifth gauge placed away 20 from a canal zone? 21 (Thereupon, Mr. MacNeil left the 22 deposition.) 23 THE WITNESS: I have to see the map to 24 exactly locate those stations. 203 1 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 2 Q. I'm not looking for a map. I'm just trying 3 to get a general idea where they are. 4 A. That's all I can tell you right now. 5 Q. Do you recall when you designed this 6 network and designed where these new stations will 7 go? 8 A. I don't remember the date. 9 Q. I'm not looking for a date. Generally. 10 A. I don't remember. Within the last two 11 years. I'm certain it was within the last two years. 12 Q. Okay. Do you recall whether it was in 13 1992? 14 A. I don't remember the exact date, no. 15 Q. Have you seen any data from any of the new 16 rainfall gauges? 17 A. I haven't seen any data yet. 18 Q. Are you still reviewing data from the 19 existing rainfall gauges, rainfall for the EAA? 20 A. Yes, I have been reviewing, I have been 21 dealing with that from the stations. 22 Q. For what purpose? 23 A. Update my files and in some instances for 24 U.S. Sugar Cane's request, had to update our rainfall 25 data. 204 1 Q. You stated update your files. 2 Do you actually keep in your files, your 3 computer files the rainfall data from these nine 4 gauges? 5 A. Just put them in on a diskette and I think 6 give it to legal. 7 Q. Is that something you have already done? I 8 sort of lost track of where that came from. 9 MS. BIRCH: I think what he said, he is 10 updating his files, and could provide them to 11 legal at the League's request. 12 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 13 Q. Do you have in your files a complete set of 14 the rainfall data that's reflected in Exhibit 2? 15 A. It's in the District database, the one 16 official data which is in, the appendix is in the 17 District database. 18 Q. Do you also have it in your database? 19 A. I could have it on my hard drive, too. I 20 have to check. 21 Q. When preparing this study, did you use the 22 data that you had recorded onto your hard drive from 23 the District database? 24 A. Yes. 25 Q. Do your computer records on your hard drive 205 1 reflect all of the adjustments you made for missing 2 data? 3 A. I don't think so. 4 Q. Have you kept that in hard copy? 5 A. Not to my memory. 6 Q. Have you kept any type of working papers on 7 that? 8 A. How it is filled is documented in 9 Exhibit 2, how those numbers are estimated. 10 Q. I know the exhibit tells me how you did it. 11 I'm asking did you keep your working papers on the 12 actual calculations for estimating? 13 A. No. I don't think so. 14 Q. In reference to the -- if you could keep 15 Exhibit 2 in front of you, but in reference to the 16 Holey Land analysis which is contained in Exhibit 10, 17 did this analysis include the Rotenberger tract or is 18 this solely of the Holey Land? 19 A. It's only of the Holey Land. 20 Q. There is reference in Exhibit 10 to seepage 21 from the Holey Land. 22 In what directions did seepage take place? 23 MS. BIRCH: Objection to relevancy. 24 THE WITNESS: For the time of the study, 25 the direction is shown in Exhibit 10, page 206 1 0957263. 2 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 3 Q. Is that Table 4 you are referring to? 4 A. Yes, Table 4. 5 Q. All those numbers are shown as negative. 6 Why is that? 7 A. Negative indicates flow from the Holey Land 8 to outside. 9 Q. Given the fact that the Holey Land was part 10 of the water budget study which is contained in 11 Exhibit 2, flow going east, west and north would have 12 just merely flowed right back into the study area 13 from the study area; is that correct? 14 MS. BIRCH: Object to form. 15 MR. KOBELINSKI: Would you like me to 16 rephrase that? 17 THE WITNESS: All right. 18 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 19 Q. As I understand your prior testimony, the 20 Holey Land is part of the EAA study area which is 21 reflected in Exhibit 2; is that correct? 22 A. Yes. 23 Q. All right. And we are discussing seepage 24 now, which is reflected in Exhibit 10, Table 4, at 25 page 0957263 of Exhibit 10. 207 1 And my question is since the Holey Land is 2 part of the study area for the EAA water budget, the 3 fact that there is seepage from the Holey Land into 4 other portions of the EAA, i.e., to the east, west 5 and north of the Holey Land, would have no impact on 6 that water budget, would it? 7 A. As long as it is part of the study area, it 8 won't affect the water budget. 9 What happens inside does not affect water 10 budget. 11 Q. Does seepage to the south affect the water 12 budget? 13 A. Seepage to the south can affect the water 14 budget if the flow is not through the controlled 15 structures. 16 Q. Does Table 4 in Exhibit 10, which is 17 referred to as seepage, reflect flow through control 18 structures? 19 A. Once it seeps out of the Holey Land, it 20 doesn't show control structures. 21 Q. So then does seepage to the south from the 22 Holey Land impact the water budget? 23 A. It's a very small number. It won't make a 24 significant change in the water budget. 25 Q. That's given the fact that, for instance, 208 1 on this study here in Table 4, there is only 6,201 2 acre feet; is that correct? 3 A. Yes. 4 Q. And given the other numbers involved, 5 that's a small number? 6 A. That's a very small number. 7 Q. Okay. Yesterday you were referring to 8 seepage into the water conservation areas as also an 9 unimportant number. I forget the term that was used. 10 Is seepage into the water conservation 11 areas -- excuse me, seepage into the EAA from the 12 water conservation areas an important factor in the 13 water budget? 14 A. I was not asked that question yesterday. 15 Q. Okay, then I'll ask it. 16 Is seepage from the water conservation 17 areas into the EAA a factor in the water budget? 18 A. It was estimated to be negligible when 19 every seepage in and out through the perimeter of the 20 ag area is considered. 21 MR. PERKO: Excuse me, could you read back 22 that answer, please? 23 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 24 was read by the reporter.) 209 1 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 2 Q. In what areas of the EAA would you 3 anticipate that there would be seepage out of the EAA 4 into, for instance, the water conservation areas 5 other than the Holey Land which we have discussed? 6 A. I haven't studied that. 7 Q. In what areas of the water conservation 8 areas would there be seepage into the Everglades 9 Agricultural Area? 10 A. I haven't studied that either. 11 Q. Then how were you able to estimate that the 12 two balanced out? 13 A. This was general knowledge of the area. 14 Q. Is there a head differential between Water 15 Conservation Area 1 and the EAA? 16 A. It depends what the time period is and what 17 the condition is. 18 Q. Given the general knowledge of the area you 19 just referred to, is there normally on almost a 20 year-round basis a head differential between Water 21 Conservation Area 1 and the Everglades Agricultural 22 Area? 23 A. I have to see the data. 24 Q. I'm referring to the general knowledge that 25 you referred to a moment ago. 210 1 A. The general knowledge is there is no 2 massive flow of water through seepage in or out of 3 the ag area as a whole. 4 Q. Did you review the data on head 5 differential from Water Conservation Area 1 to the 6 EAA? 7 A. I have reviewed the stage data, but I don't 8 remember what the numbers were. 9 Q. Did you review that head differential in 10 making the determination that there was no seepage or 11 it was equaled with any seepage out of the EAA when 12 preparing the water budget? 13 A. I didn't say there was no seepage in any 14 direction. 15 What I said is overall, seepage in or out 16 of the EAA can be stated as zero to do water budget 17 study of this level. 18 Q. All right. Could you indicate for me on 19 Exhibit Number 13 perhaps with this green marker 20 anywhere that you believe that there is, on an annual 21 basis you would experience a head differential where 22 there would be a higher water level in the EAA than 23 in the surrounding areas? 24 MS. BIRCH: I'm going to object to the 25 extent that it calls for the witness to draw 211 1 conclusions or speculation without having a 2 sufficient documentation that's already been 3 presented during the deposition. 4 If there is a map to indicate that, then 5 the witness can direct us to that. If not, what 6 he believes is not relevant. Giving an opinion 7 based upon facts that he has testified to is. 8 MR. KOBELINSKI: Counsel, he made a 9 judgment that seepage is not a factor in the 10 water budget. His actual testimony is on the 11 water budget. I'm just trying to determine how 12 he made that judgment call. 13 MS. BIRCH: You are asking him to indicate 14 what he believed. If he has something to base 15 that belief on and can testify to that, I have 16 no objection to that, but for him to speculate -- 17 I mean he can give an opinion, but you are 18 asking him to guess. 19 MR. KOBELINSKI: No, counsel, he stated he 20 did this not based upon review of the data, but 21 on his general knowledge of the area. He stated 22 he made his estimate that there is a balancing 23 of seepage in and seepage out. Since he did not 24 review specific data, I'm reviewing that general 25 knowledge of the area. 212 1 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 2 Q. Dr. Abtew, on Exhibit 13 could you state 3 for me where you would expect to experience a head 4 differential where you would have higher water 5 elevations within the EAA than in any of the 6 surrounding areas? 7 A. I have to see the data of stage at the site 8 which changes with time and make conclusions based on 9 that temporal scale. It depends on the time. 10 Q. Did you do that in preparing your water 11 budget? 12 A. I have inspected the stage data records. I 13 don't remember what the numbers are inside or outside 14 the EAA. 15 Q. Did you review stage records in preparing 16 the water budget? 17 A. I have reviewed the stage records. 18 Q. I understand, sir, that you reviewed stage 19 records while you have been at the District. 20 My question is have you reviewed stage 21 records in preparing this water budget which is 22 reflected in Exhibit 2? 23 Is that some of the data that you have 24 reviewed in preparing Exhibit 2? 25 A. I don't remember that I exactly used it for 213 1 doing the writing, but through my studies of the EAA, 2 I have reviewed the stage data, and I don't remember 3 at what period of time what the stage is anywhere 4 around there. 5 Q. Can you tell me exactly what process you 6 used to make the judgment that seepage in and out of 7 the EAA balances out and need not be considered in 8 the water budget which is Exhibit 2? 9 What data did you review for what period of 10 time? 11 MS. BIRCH: Objection to the 12 mischaracterization of his testimony. 13 THE WITNESS: I can't specify the exact 14 data. It is a combination of general knowledge 15 that is obtained through reading the different 16 documents on the EAA and different data, 17 conversation with different people. 18 All that combination resulted in the 19 conclusion that there is no massive seepage out 20 or in to affect the water budget analysis that 21 was reached. 22 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 23 Q. What people did you have these discussions 24 with? 25 A. I don't remember, I don't remember the 214 1 people that I discussed. 2 Q. And what data was it that you just referred 3 to? 4 A. The District database on stage flow, stage 5 data. 6 Q. You said stage flow. What exactly are you 7 referring to there, sir? 8 A. Flow is flow, flow through the District 9 canals and stage data in the canals, outside the 10 canals and all the stage data. 11 Q. Okay. During what period of time did you 12 research the study that's reflected in Exhibit 2? 13 Not the study period. 14 During what time did you actually spend 15 conducting this research and drafting the report? 16 A. How long did it take? 17 Q. How long did it take? When did you start? 18 I realize you are still in the process, because it's 19 a draft. 20 A. I am not certain, but probably started a 21 year and a half ago. 22 Q. Approximately July of 1991? 23 A. Earlier, a little earlier. 24 Q. Sometime during 1991? 25 A. Sometime during 1991. 215 1 Q. Okay. From that period forward, have you 2 reviewed the stage or head differential between the 3 water conservation areas and the EAA? 4 A. Not recently. 5 (Discussion held off the record.) 6 (Thereupon, a recess was taken.) 7 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 8 Q. Doctor, drawing your attention back to the 9 questions we were just discussing, a few moments ago 10 you had stated that you had commenced the study which 11 is reflected in Exhibit 2 approximately sometime in 12 early or mid 1991. 13 And my question is have you reviewed 14 subsequent to early or mid 1991 any data on the stage 15 or head differential between the water conservation 16 areas and the Everglades Agricultural Area? 17 A. Not recently. 18 Q. Doctor, I'm afraid I really just don't 19 understand your answer, because I was asking about a 20 particular period and you are saying not recently. 21 Does that not recently mean the entire 22 period? 23 A. On the process of the study, there are 24 times where stage data were reviewed, which is quite 25 sometime back. 216 1 Q. But you have reviewed then stage data from 2 approximately early '91 through today's date in 3 reference to this study which is Exhibit 2? 4 A. No, during the period of the study, the 5 stage data during the period of study, which is '79 6 to '90. That's what I reviewed. 7 Q. I appreciate -- I'm not asking what the 8 period of the stage data covered. I'm asking whether 9 or not you reviewed stage data during the time you 10 were researching and preparing this document, which 11 is Exhibit 2. 12 In other words, have you reviewed stage 13 data since early 1991 through today's date in 14 reference or in preparation of this study, Exhibit 2? 15 A. I have been exposed to stage data in and 16 around the EAA. I can't remember the time and how 17 much I have used to make conclusions, how much of 18 that data was used to make my conclusion. 19 Q. Is there any way for you to identify the 20 stage data that you reviewed in determining that 21 seepage was not a factor or not an important factor 22 to be considered in the water budget? 23 A. I don't remember. 24 Q. Well, what data would you look at now to go 25 about making that determination? 217 1 If I had to do it, how would I go about 2 determining whether or not seepage would be an 3 important factor? 4 A. Have to go back and see the database, there 5 are a lot of stage readings, and select which one I 6 was looking at, so it will be a process that will 7 take time. Have to study the database in the whole 8 area. 9 Q. What would you be studying? What would you 10 look for to make a determination about seepage? 11 A. I haven't planned how to do that kind of 12 test or research, and I can't tell you exactly what I 13 will do to test if there is seepage through the 14 levees. 15 Q. Well, you already did something to make the 16 determination that you have in this Exhibit 2, which 17 is that seepage is not an important factor. 18 What was that? Walk me through -- what 19 should I do to recreate and make a determination or 20 analyze that judgment? What data do I look at? 21 A. I told you it's based on general knowledge 22 and general information, which is a combination of 23 conversations with individuals who have knowledge of 24 the area and review of stage data in the area, which 25 I don't remember which stage stations were, and the 218 1 general topography of the area. 2 So a combination of a lot of factors 3 determine to make a conclusion that seepage, the net 4 seepage was not a big factor in the water budget of 5 the Everglades Agricultural Area. 6 Q. Why was seepage included in the water 7 budget of the Holey Land? 8 MS. BIRCH: Asked and answered. 9 THE WITNESS: The head differential is 10 considerable. It is an impoundment. 11 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 12 Q. Is the Water Conservation Area 1 an 13 impoundment? 14 A. Yes, it is an impoundment. 15 Q. Is there a considerable head differential 16 between Water Conservation Area 1 and the EAA? 17 A. I have to see the data for different 18 periods of time and make comparison of the stage at 19 various points to make that conclusion. I didn't 20 study that for seepage purpose. 21 Q. In preparing Exhibit 2, you did not study 22 that? 23 A. I made a general conclusion that seepage 24 was not very important and didn't make detailed study 25 on how much was coming, leaving the EAA through 219 1 seepage. 2 MR. KOBELINSKI: Could you go back? I need 3 an answer approximately two questions ago. 4 Could you read back the answer two answers back? 5 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 6 was read by the reporter.) 7 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 8 Q. If the head differential between WCA-1 and 9 EAA on an annual basis is the same as the head 10 differential between the Holey Land and the 11 surrounding areas, would that be indicative to you 12 that there would be seepage? 13 A. Have to study the area in general to 14 determine if there will be seepage, if seepage will 15 be important. 16 Q. I'm not asking whether it will be important 17 seepage. I'm asking if the head differential was the 18 same or greater between Water Conservation Area 1 and 19 the EAA as the head differential between the Holey 20 Land and the EAA, would there be seepage? 21 A. That's a hypothetical question, but I have 22 to study the topography of the area and the boundary 23 between impoundment and the EAA, how long it is, and 24 the soil and the levees between the EAA and the Water 25 Conservation Area. 220 1 So I have to study a lot of things if you 2 want to calculate how much seepage is coming out. 3 Q. How does the topography impact seepage? 4 A. If there is a levee between the areas, 5 seepage will be small. If the levee is compacted or 6 if it is just the natural system, it will be 7 different. 8 Q. You had mentioned three factors to be 9 considered, topography, levee and soil under the 10 levee, other than the head differential which we have 11 been discussing. 12 And I understand the levee, which we will 13 be getting to in a moment, but how does topography, 14 how is that a factor in seepage? 15 A. I already answered the question. 16 Q. And you had made mention to the levee. 17 With regard to levee, how is the levee a 18 factor? 19 A. Levee puts resistance. The compacted 20 levee, you will have more resistance for seepage. 21 Q. Is there a difference between the factor 22 that you have listed as topography and the factor 23 that you have listed as levee? 24 A. As part of the topographical feature of the 25 area, whatever there is on the land. 221 1 Q. But other than a levee then, is there 2 anything about the topography that's a factor in 3 seepage? 4 A. The gradient, the position of the areas 5 with respect to each other. 6 Q. Based upon the general knowledge and 7 information you had made reference to, what's your 8 understanding of the gradient between EAA and Water 9 Conservation Area 1? 10 A. I have to look at the data, at the maps and 11 features at different times of water stage to 12 determine which direction seepage is going or what 13 feature will affect seepage. 14 Q. But referring now just to topography, are 15 you talking about the land surface when you mentioned 16 topography? 17 A. Yes. 18 Q. Well, the head differential or the water 19 stage doesn't impact what the ground elevation is, 20 does it? 21 A. Well, the ground elevation determines the 22 water stage, too. 23 Q. It's a factor in it, but the ground 24 elevation does not change just because water stage 25 changes, does it? 222 1 A. No. 2 Q. As far as, within a five-year period, for 3 instance, essentially the ground elevation, is it 4 constant? 5 A. I can't say that. Depends on deposition on 6 what you already have on the bottom, what's building 7 up in the reservoir. 8 Q. Is it your understanding that the area 9 within the EAA is generally flat? 10 A. Yes, generally flat. 11 Q. Is it your understanding that the area 12 within the WCA-1 is generally flat? 13 A. There is a slope, gentle slope to the 14 south. 15 Q. Is there any type of slope in the EAA? 16 A. It is, the EAA is divided into sub-basins 17 and you have to have a specific area and request. 18 Just can't make that statement. 19 Q. What about the sub-basin that is adjacent 20 to WCA-1 of the EAA? 21 A. I have to look at a topograph map to tell 22 you exactly what the gradient is and which way it is 23 going. 24 Q. Whatever that gradient would be, it's not 25 any type of a high or great degree of gradient, is 223 1 there, if there is one at all? 2 A. No, it won't be high. 3 Q. Do you have any general information or 4 knowledge as to whether or not the ground elevation 5 on one side of the levee that's on the EAA and the 6 other side of the levee that's on Water Conservation 7 Area 1, as to whether there is a difference in the 8 soil elevation on either side of the area there? 9 A. Have to refer to topographic map before I 10 answer the question. 11 Q. Did you do so in making the determination 12 about seepage? 13 A. I told you I didn't do detailed study of 14 the area to calculate seepage. 15 Q. But you based it upon your general 16 knowledge; is that correct? 17 A. I have answered this question before. 18 Q. Given that general knowledge, is it your 19 understanding that there is a difference in the 20 ground elevation on one side of the levee which is in 21 WCA-1 and the other side of the levee, which is in 22 the EAA? 23 A. I have to see the topographic map of the 24 area to answer this question. 25 Q. You have no knowledge of it without looking 224 1 at a topographic map, no general knowledge 2 whatsoever? 3 A. I have to refer to topographic map. 4 Q. My question is do you have any general 5 knowledge with regard to that whatsoever? 6 A. With regard to what? 7 Q. Whether or not there is a difference, 8 substantial, minimal or otherwise, between the ground 9 elevation on the EAA side of the levee and the ground 10 elevation on the Water Conservation Area 1 side of 11 the levee. 12 A. I have to refer to topographic map to 13 answer this question. 14 Q. So you do not have general knowledge on 15 that topic; is that correct? 16 MS. BIRCH: Objection, argumentative, asked 17 and answered. 18 THE WITNESS: I don't have specific 19 knowledge on the specific question. 20 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 21 Q. I'm not asking for specific knowledge. I'm 22 asking for general knowledge. You have stated you 23 made a judgment based upon your general knowledge. 24 I'm trying to understand what your general knowledge 25 is. 225 1 Do you have general knowledge on that? 2 A. I have to refer to topographic map to 3 answer that specific question. 4 Q. Let me make the question more general. 5 Absent a levee, would there be a slope 6 between Water Conservation Area 1 and the EAA? 7 A. I have to look to topographic map to answer 8 that question. 9 Q. You do not have any general knowledge in 10 that regard? 11 A. That's your opinion. 12 Q. I'm asking a question, sir. 13 Do you have general knowledge in that 14 regard, any general knowledge in that regard? 15 A. To the specific question, I don't have 16 specific knowledge. 17 Q. Do you have any knowledge whatsoever of 18 slopes or ground elevations, not specific to mean sea 19 level, not to within a foot, not to within a yard, do 20 you have any general knowledge on the slopes between 21 or the EAA and Water Conservation Area 1, general 22 knowledge? 23 MS. BIRCH: Objection, asked and answered. 24 THE WITNESS: I don't have specific 25 knowledge of the difference in elevation between 226 1 the two. 2 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 3 Q. I'm not asking for specific knowledge. 4 General knowledge. 5 A. I don't have the specific knowledge of -- 6 Q. I'm not asking about specific knowledge, 7 sir. General knowledge. 8 Do you have any general knowledge? 9 A. What is the meaning of general knowledge? 10 Q. Sir, you have described you made a judgment 11 call based upon your general knowledge. 12 What do you consider general knowledge? 13 A. I have already answered that question what 14 information I have based in making the decision that 15 seepage will not be a factor in the water budget. 16 Q. I wasn't asking about seepage. 17 What do you consider general knowledge? 18 A. It depends on what subject you are asking 19 on. 20 Q. What do you consider general knowledge 21 regarding seepage? 22 Would general knowledge regarding seepage 23 be about the four factors you stated are important 24 for seepage, head differential, topography and soil 25 under levee? 227 1 A. General knowledge is information you have 2 gathered through time, through reading, through 3 conversation with people who know about the area and 4 various sources that you can't recall where you get a 5 piece of information to conclude that there is no 6 massive flow of water in or out of the ag area to 7 imbalance the water budget. 8 That's what general knowledge is. 9 Q. Okay. Now, given that definition, do you 10 have any information gathered through time, through 11 reading, through conversations with other people or 12 from various sources that you can't recall 13 specifically where, what the topography or whether 14 there is any substantial difference between the 15 ground elevation in the EAA on one side of the levee 16 and Water Conservation Area 1 on the other side of 17 the exact same levee? 18 A. I can't quantify that. 19 Q. I'm not asking you to quantify it. 20 Do you have any knowledge of it? 21 A. I don't have that specific knowledge. 22 Q. Not specific. Do you have any knowledge, 23 given the four factors you just gave me, general 24 knowledge? 25 A. I can't recall all the specific information 228 1 that I have gathered to come to a conclusion that 2 there is no massive seepage in or out from the ag 3 area to any of the directions. 4 Q. Sir, my question is not with regard to 5 whether you recall specific information on seepage. 6 My question is given your definition of 7 what general knowledge is, do you recall any general 8 knowledge on ground elevations between Water 9 Conservation Area 1 on one side of the levee and the 10 EAA on the other side of the levee? 11 MS. BIRCH: Counsel, we are getting to the 12 point where you are badgering the witness. You 13 have asked a question, he has given an answer. 14 It may not be the answer you like, but you are 15 entitled to an answer. 16 MR. KOBELINSKI: He is answering a question 17 I haven't asked. 18 MS. BIRCH: You are becoming argumentative. 19 We have been on this at least five minutes and 20 it's not getting us anywhere. 21 I would suggest that we move on to an area 22 where Dr. Abtew can answer questions about his 23 expertise on the EAA water budget. 24 MR. KOBELINSKI: This is a factor in the 25 water budget. 229 1 Well, I'll move over it for a moment. 2 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 3 Q. Dr. Abtew, did you consider the four 4 factors, the head differential, the topography, the 5 levee and the soil under the levee for the seepage 6 calculation in the Holey Land? 7 A. The head difference is in the equation and 8 the characteristic of the water movement through the 9 levees is in the equation and the topography is 10 reflected in the stage data. 11 Q. How is the ground elevation reflected in 12 the stage data? 13 A. Well, determines the depth of water. 14 Q. Doesn't flow in and flow out upon an area 15 determine the depth of water? 16 A. The stage region depends how high the 17 ground is underneath it or how low it is underneath 18 it. So it's considered. 19 Q. For seepage -- what did you look at then to 20 determine whether or not there was a difference in 21 topography between the Holey Land and the surrounding 22 EAA? 23 A. This question is answered in Exhibit 10, 24 page 0957260 to page 0957263. 25 Q. And where specifically is it considered in 230 1 those two pages? 2 A. You have to read the whole thing to 3 understand how it's computed. 4 Q. Drawing your attention to 0957261, the top 5 of the page where you state, "With the available 6 limited data, seepage was estimated in the four 7 directions assuming that the gradient is the same in 8 one direction (east, west, north and south)." 9 Did you just assume that the gradient was 10 the same for this seepage study? 11 A. In one, in east, west, north or south 12 direction, yes. 13 Q. Well, was there a particular direction you 14 assumed it was not the same? 15 A. There is not. 16 Q. I didn't understand the answer, sir. Maybe 17 I missed it. 18 A. In east, west, north and south direction, 19 in one specific direction, in a single day the 20 seepage is assumed to be one way rather than along 21 the north going in and out from one end to the other 22 end, which is a reasonable assumption. 23 Q. When you refer to gradient there, what 24 gradient are you talking about? 25 A. The gradient of the land surface in one of 231 1 those directions. 2 Q. Well, the gradient of the land surface 3 doesn't change each day, does it? 4 A. It doesn't change each day, but it can 5 change from one corner of the east side to the other 6 corner of the east side. 7 Q. And in this instance you just assumed that 8 the gradient was the same? 9 A. Yes, either it is one way or the other way 10 in the four directions. 11 Q. Okay. And did you determine what the 12 gradient was? 13 A. The head differential, the stage of water 14 outside and inside the Holey Land shows that gradient 15 at the measurement point. 16 Q. You can calculate the ground elevation from 17 the stage elevation? 18 A. Well, the water surface elevation is 19 measured at certain points on both sides and that 20 difference shows the gradient of whichever direction 21 it's going to be. 22 Q. That's the gradient of the water; is that 23 correct? 24 A. Yes. 25 Q. I'm talking about the gradient of the soil. 232 1 I'm just trying to determine if that is an important 2 factor here. 3 A. Well, it is considered when you measure the 4 water depth, automatically the ground level is 5 incorporated with it, because it is designed with the 6 water. 7 Q. Are these measurements to mean sea level or 8 are they measurements to the soil level? 9 A. The data is referred to mean sea level in 10 the database. 11 Q. So whether or not the soil was one foot 12 higher on one side or the other, as long as there was 13 a head differential in the water level, you would 14 still have seepage; is that correct? 15 A. That's right. 16 Q. All right. So I'm just trying to 17 understand then how you took into consideration the 18 soil level gradient, if any. 19 A. If you have a levee with topographic 20 features to block, depending on what you put inside 21 the levee. 22 Q. So the levee then is the important factor 23 that should be considered, not topography? 24 A. Well, levee is part of the topography. 25 Q. Other than the levee, is there any other 233 1 feature of the topography I need to be considering? 2 A. Maybe some topographic features. 3 Q. Any that you are aware of in the EAA that I 4 need to be considering? 5 A. For seepage calculation, it is stated in 6 those pages, what is used and what is not used. 7 Q. And in these calculations could you point 8 out to me where soil elevation is included in the 9 calculation? 10 Would that be in 8, 9, 10 or 11, which are 11 on Exhibit 10, Bates number 0957261? Those are 12 numbered equations. 13 A. I didn't say soil elevation would be 14 included in the equation. 15 Q. Is elevation then not a factor that you 16 considered in determining the seepage out of the 17 Holey Land? 18 A. The water surface elevation is what is 19 considered. 20 Q. But not the soil surface elevation? 21 A. It is inside, when you measure the water 22 surface elevation, it automatically is in the bottom, 23 so it comes into play how high it is or how low it 24 is. 25 Q. Okay. Now with regard to the levee, what 234 1 studies, if any, did you do on the levee surrounding 2 the Holey Land? 3 A. I covered, it is covered on this previous 4 page. 5 Q. What page would that be, sir? 6 A. That would be page 0957260 to page 0957263 7 in Exhibit 10. 8 Q. And what are the features of the levee that 9 you considered or studied? 10 A. The details are shown on those pages. 11 Q. Could you point out to me what details you 12 are referring to? 13 A. I have to read from page 0957260 up to page 14 0957263 15 Q. Please walk me through those pages 16 indicating where the levee or the type of levee it 17 was, the soil under the levee were considered in 18 making the seepage calculation. 19 MS. BIRCH: What was the question? 20 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 21 was read by the reporter.) 22 THE WITNESS: On page 0957260 subtitled 23 Simulation Model, line number three, "The 24 seepage losses were calculated using an equation 25 developed from a seepage study data of 1975." 235 1 You have to read that document which is in the 2 reference to see how the soil comes into play 3 with regard to seepage. 4 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 5 Q. Did you read that to determine how the soil 6 and the levee was constructed and what features of 7 the levee there were? 8 A. You have to read that document to see how 9 soil factors are considered in calculating seepage 10 rate of the area. 11 Q. Did you read that document to determine 12 whether or not the features of the levee were 13 considered? 14 A. I read that document. 15 Q. Were the features, the construction and 16 type of levee and soil under the levee considered in 17 that document? 18 A. I don't remember the details, but it is a 19 detailed seepage rate study in the area. 20 Q. The report was dated 1975; is that correct? 21 A. That's right. 22 Q. Were all the levees that you did the 23 seepage calculation on constructed as of 1975? 24 A. I don't remember when they were 25 constructed. 236 1 Q. Would you be able to use that same study 2 and the same calculation to determine seepage between 3 WCA-1 and the EAA? 4 A. I have to study that. 5 Q. Well, in what circumstances wouldn't you be 6 able to use that same equation? 7 A. I have to study the problem first. 8 Q. I'm just asking you what possible factors 9 would result in your not being able to use the 10 equation? 11 A. I have to read that document, read the 12 document and see its application. 13 Without reading it, I can't say anything. 14 Q. Well, the document just provides you with 15 this factor; is that correct, the .746? 16 A. And details of where it was tested, how it 17 was tested, and it's one report. You have to read it 18 all before you determine where to use it. 19 Q. In doing the Holey Land seepage between, in 20 the southern direction, that's between the Holey Land 21 and Water Conservation Area 3, there is a levee there 22 dividing the two; is that correct? 23 A. Yes. 24 Q. And I draw your attention to what's been 25 marked as Exhibit 13. 237 1 A. Yes, there is levee. 2 Q. Is it the exact same lineal levee that 3 divides, if you follow it along up to the east, water 4 Conservation Area 1 from the EAA? 5 A. Yes. 6 Q. Do you know if there is a difference 7 between the manner of construction of the levee that 8 divides Water Conservation Area 1 from the EAA and 9 the Holey Land from Water Conservation Area 3? 10 A. I don't know. I haven't studied that. 11 Q. When did you make the conclusion that it 12 was appropriate to use the seepage calculation 13 referred to in Exhibit 10 for the Holey Land water 14 budget? 15 A. Before May 1992, sometime before May 1992. 16 Q. Did you make that determination before or 17 after you made the determination that seepage within 18 the EAA was not a factor to be, important factor to 19 be considered in the EAA water budget? 20 A. After I made that conclusion. 21 Q. Did you revisit that conclusion with regard 22 to the EAA water budget after studying the Holey 23 Land? 24 A. I haven't revisited it, since this is a 25 draft document. If there is enough technical 238 1 information that convinces me to see if seepage is, 2 if seepage doesn't fit the water budget of the EAA, I 3 will look at that. 4 Q. Is there any information that you don't 5 have comparable to the information you had when doing 6 the Holey Land water budget regarding seepage? 7 A. I didn't study. I don't try to compute 8 seepage from the EAA, so I can't say how much 9 information is there if I want to calculate. 10 Q. You said if you had sufficient information, 11 you would study it to see if it is an important 12 factor. You would revisit it if necessary. 13 What information do you need to revisit it? 14 A. First information is to, if it is 15 worthwhile doing the study, if you try to change the 16 water budget, if there is significant amount of water 17 coming in and leaving the area. 18 Q. How would you go about making that 19 determination? 20 A. I could say right now there is no massive 21 movement, so unless someone comes up with convincing 22 idea or just for interest of doing the study. There 23 is no reason to go back and do this kind of study 24 right now. 25 Q. Well, how did you make the determination 239 1 that seepage had to be considered in the Holey Land? 2 A. Because the data is available. 3 Q. Is the same data available for the EAA? 4 A. I am not sure. 5 Q. Well, I go back to what data do you need to 6 make the determination? 7 MS. BIRCH: Objection, asked and answered. 8 THE WITNESS: First I have to be convinced 9 that I have to do this work. 10 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 11 Q. Well, how did you get convinced that you 12 had to do the Holey Land work? You said it was just 13 because the data was available. 14 Is that all that convinced you to do the 15 work? 16 A. And it was an impoundment. I have stated 17 that. 18 Q. But you have already testified that there 19 are impoundments surrounding the EAA; is that 20 correct? 21 A. Yes. 22 Q. So you know that there are impoundments, 23 and the question is do you have the same comparable 24 data available? 25 A. You have to look at how much data is 240 1 available to, if you have to quantify seepage or 2 whatever the amount is. 3 Q. If the data is available, is that 4 sufficient then to warrant a study of seepage? 5 MS. BIRCH: Objection to form. 6 THE WITNESS: It depends on your objective. 7 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 8 Q. If your objective was a water budget? 9 A. It doesn't affect significantly the water 10 budget of the EAA whether to include that seepage 11 that may be left right now. 12 Q. Did seepage affect significantly the water 13 budget of the Holey Land? 14 A. The Holey Land is a completely different 15 environment than the Everglades Agricultural Area, 16 and the seepage that was calculated is given on page 17 0957263. 18 Q. All right. Was it significant in the Holey 19 Land? 20 A. Yes, it is significant. It is a reasonably 21 high number. 22 (Thereupon, a recess was taken.) 23 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 24 Q. Dr. Abtew, with regard to the structures, 25 the water control structures that separate or 241 1 connect, whichever you would like to view it as, the 2 EAA and Water Conservation Area 1, are you familiar 3 at all with those structures? 4 A. Which structures are they? 5 Q. That would be the S-5, the various 6 structures there. 7 A. Yes. 8 Q. When water is moved from the EAA into Water 9 Conservation Area 1, how is that done? 10 A. It's written in the document. 11 Q. Is it pumped? 12 A. Will you repeat the question? 13 Q. Is the water pumped from the EAA into Water 14 Conservation Area 1? 15 A. Yes, there is pump station two. 16 Q. Is there any type of a gravity flow 17 structure for water to flow out of the EAA into Water 18 Conservation Area 1? 19 A. Yes, there is a gravity structure. 20 Q. Is that for water to flow from the EAA into 21 Water Conservation Area 1? 22 A. Sometimes it has happened. It is not 23 frequent. Sometimes water flows by gravity from the 24 EAA to Water Conservation Area 1. 25 Q. Did it happen at any time during your study 242 1 area, study period from 1979 to 1990 that there was 2 gravity flow through the S-5 structures there from 3 the EAA into Water Conservation Area 1? 4 A. I am not sure if it is for that period or 5 from 1973 to 1991. There are periods where water 6 flows through gravity from the EAA to Water 7 Conservation Area 1. 8 Q. Would you say that happened 50 percent of 9 the time? 10 A. A few times. 11 Q. A few times over a span of approximately 18 12 years? 13 A. I don't remember the exact number of days 14 or months. I know it is a few times. 15 Q. Of the flows between Water Conservation 16 Area 1 and the EAA, approximately what percentage, 17 just rough approximation, what percentage would have 18 been gravity flow from the EAA into Water 19 Conservation Area 1? 20 A. I don't have enough information to put any 21 approximate number on the proper -- 22 Q. Given the fact you said it happened a few 23 times over an 18-year span, would you say that it was 24 greater than 30 percent, less than 30 percent? 25 A. I have to check District database how many 243 1 times it flowed in that direction, so I don't want to 2 put any number without checking the database. 3 Q. Do you know how many times or whether the 4 majority of the times it was pumped from the EAA into 5 Water Conservation Area 1? 6 A. Most of the time it was pumped. 7 Q. Is there any type of a pump structure which 8 would allow water to be pumped from Water 9 Conservation Area 1 into the EAA, or is that merely a 10 gravity structure, gravity flow? 11 A. I have to check. 12 Q. Do you know? 13 A. I have to check if there were instances, if 14 there was back-pump. 15 Q. You are saying using the same pumps to 16 back-pump, is that what you are referring to? 17 A. Yes. I have to check if that has occurred. 18 Q. Do you recall in your research any instance 19 of that occurring? 20 A. Not that I remember. 21 Q. Have you spoken with any of the 22 agricultural interests that border Water Conservation 23 Area 1 to determine whether or not any of their 24 pumping practices are instigated or influenced by any 25 type of seepage from Water Conservation Area 1? 244 1 A. No, I haven't done any study with regard to 2 seepage. 3 Q. I'm not referring to a study. I'm just 4 talking about conversations with people. 5 Have you spoken with anyone with any 6 agricultural interests or anyone else from the 7 District with regard to whether or not pumping on the 8 agricultural fields bordering Water Conservation 9 Area 1 is influenced by seepage? 10 A. I haven't talked to the ag people on how 11 seepage influences their pumping practice. 12 Q. Have you talked to anyone in the District 13 about that? 14 A. I don't have the specific knowledge. 15 Q. I'm just trying to understand, doctor. 16 Sometimes you refer to specific knowledge. Sometimes 17 you refer to general, and I'm not sure if you are 18 just using the terms for no particular purpose or if 19 you are saying you don't have specific knowledge, 20 which means you do have some general knowledge. 21 In this instance do you have any 22 recollection or just no specific recollection? 23 A. Repeat the question, please. 24 Q. The question was do you recall speaking 25 with anyone at the District about whether or not the 245 1 seepage from Water Conservation Area 1 into the EAA 2 impacts the pumping practices of the agricultural 3 interests bordering that area. 4 A. I don't remember. 5 Q. Do you recall speaking to anyone as to 6 whether or not the seepage from Lake Okeechobee into 7 the agricultural areas surrounding Lake Okeechobee in 8 the EAA influences their pumping practices? 9 A. I don't remember. 10 Q. Have you ever looked at the stage 11 differential between Lake Okeechobee and the waters 12 within the EAA? 13 A. I don't remember that specific comparison 14 of those two stages. 15 Q. Do you recall a general comparison? I'm 16 just trying to understand, because again, you use 17 from time to time the term specific. 18 Do you recall just generally a comparison 19 of the stage elevations or the head differential 20 between Lake Okeechobee and the EAA? 21 A. Since those things are dependent on time, 22 it's very hard to say that I came up with some data 23 which shows this way or that way. Just depends on 24 the period where you are comparing stages. 25 Q. Well, is there data showing on a daily 246 1 basis what the elevation of Lake Okeechobee is? 2 A. Yes, there is data in the District 3 database, but I don't work with that data. 4 Q. That was my question. 5 Have you ever looked at that data or talked 6 to anyone about that data to make a determination 7 whether there is normally a head differential between 8 the EAA and Lake Okeechobee? 9 A. I haven't studied that. 10 Q. I recognize you haven't studied it. Have 11 you talked to anyone about it? 12 A. I don't remember. 13 Q. Okay. Dr. Abtew, yesterday you mentioned 14 that you will be using a, I believe it was called a 15 lysimeter to be studying evapotranspiration within 16 the ENR project; is that correct? 17 A. That's correct 18 Q. Could you describe for me essentially what 19 are the components of a lysimeter? 20 A. It's a plastic tank -- 21 MR. PERKO: Could you spell lysimeter? 22 THE WITNESS: L-y-s-i-m-e-t-e-r. 23 MR. PERKO: Thank you. 24 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 25 Q. Plastic tank of approximately what 247 1 capacity? 2 A. A little over 2,000 gallons. Pumps, water 3 level recorders, data recorders, weather station, 4 evaporation pan, generally those are the instruments 5 which will be in and around the lysimeter. 6 Q. The lysimeter itself, the plastic tank, is 7 that just sitting on the ground or is it partially 8 submerged? How does it functionally work? 9 A. Submerged in the water. It will be under 10 water. Most of it will be under water. 11 Q. And is the concept that you control the 12 flows, inflows of water and outflows of water? 13 A. Yes. 14 Q. Is the inside of the tank, is part of it 15 filled with, in this instance I guess would be muck 16 soils or peat? 17 A. Yes, soils from the surrounding -- 18 Q. Do you know whether or not you will be also 19 attempting to determine the evapotranspiration of the 20 vegetation that will be used in what is referred to 21 as the polishing cells of the ENR project? 22 A. I don't know what types of vegetation we 23 are going to put in it yet. 24 Q. Have you had any discussions about the 25 types of vegetation? 248 1 A. Yes. 2 Q. What are the types of vegetation you have 3 discussed? 4 A. Cattails and the rest of wetlands 5 vegetation which exists around there. I don't 6 remember the names. 7 Q. Was there any discussion of using the 8 lysimeter with just a predominantly algae community? 9 A. I haven't heard that. 10 Q. Sir, drawing your attention to what's been 11 marked as Abtew Exhibit Number 3, which is a document 12 titled Draft, title is Water Budget Analysis For The 13 Everglades Agricultural Area, An Organic Soil 14 Drainage Basin, and drawing your attention to the 15 second page of that document, which is in fact 16 labeled one at the bottom of the page, the third 17 sentence therein states, "The EAA is a highly 18 productive high water table organic soil irrigation/ 19 drainage basin with water quality problems." 20 Is it your understanding that there are 21 water quality problems within the EAA? 22 A. Will you repeat the question? 23 Q. Is it your understanding that there are 24 water quality problems within the EAA? 25 A. Yes. 249 1 Q. Where are the water quality problems? 2 A. It's referenced in a document which I 3 cited, and you can read from there. 4 Q. What document is that, sir? 5 A. On page four, second paragraph, "The 6 phosphorus in the drainage water has resulted in 7 accelerated eutrophication of Lake Okeechobee and in 8 the degradation of the Everglades ecosystem." 9 This is a paper written by Izuno, 1991, and 10 is referenced in the end. 11 Q. Is Lake Okeechobee part of the EAA? 12 A. What kind of question -- its geographic 13 location? 14 Q. Yes. Is Lake Okeechobee part of the EAA? 15 A. Lake Okeechobee is on the north side of the 16 area. 17 Q. Is it within the EAA? 18 A. Not the definition that I know. 19 Q. With regard to the Everglades ecosystem 20 referenced by Izuno, is that within the EAA or is he 21 referring to the conservation areas in the Everglades 22 National Park? 23 A. He is referring to the drainage areas that 24 leaves agricultural area and it's pumped to Lake 25 Okeechobee and to the south to the Everglades 250 1 ecosystem, which includes water conservation areas. 2 That is his reference. 3 Q. My question to you, sir, is are you aware 4 of whether there are water quality violations within 5 the geographic EAA? Not within the EPA, not within 6 Lake Okeechobee. 7 Are there water quality violations within 8 the EAA? 9 MS. BIRCH: Objection, this witness is not 10 competent to testify as to what violations are 11 in the EAA. That's a legal determination, 12 counsel. You know that. 13 MR. KOBELINSKI: Makes reference to water 14 quality in his document, violation of the EAA. 15 I would like to know whether that's his belief 16 and what his basis is. 17 MS. BIRCH: He cited to you where he found 18 that statement. 19 THE WITNESS: I cited the reference where 20 it is stated there is problems with the water in 21 the agricultural area. 22 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 23 Q. Is it your understanding there are 24 violations of the water quality in the EAA? 25 A. I don't use the term violation or 251 1 non-violation, but the term I used is there is water 2 quality problem with water quality degradation which 3 is cited in that scientific study. 4 Q. On the second page of that Exhibit 3 -- 5 again, the bottom of the page is listed actually as 6 one -- it says, "During dry periods supplemental 7 water is used for irrigation and in rainy periods --" 8 A. Which part? 9 Q. I'm reading the following sentence to the 10 one I read before. 11 A. Okay. 12 Q. "During dry periods supplemental water is 13 used for irrigation and in rainy periods excess water 14 with phosphorus content has to be pumped out off the 15 basin to the environmentally sensitive Everglades 16 ecosystem." 17 First of all, you make reference that it 18 has to be pumped out. 19 Can it be gravity flows out of the EAA? 20 A. Yes, it could be gravity flow. 21 Q. In your study period were there any gravity 22 flows out of the EAA during the rainy season? 23 A. I don't remember that detail. 24 Q. This states that the water has to be pumped 25 out to the environmentally sensitive Everglades 252 1 ecosystem. 2 Can't the water be pumped into the West 3 Palm Beach Canal and down to the, out to the urban 4 communities? 5 MS. BIRCH: Objection, lack of foundation. 6 This witness isn't competent based on the 7 testimony previously given as to the operation 8 of pumps. 9 MR. KOBELINSKI: Counsel, the document 10 states it has to be pumped in a certain 11 direction. I'm trying to explore why the 12 witness has that statement in his own work. 13 MS. BIRCH: That wasn't the question. So 14 what's the pending question? 15 THE WITNESS: What is the question? 16 MR. KOBELINSKI: Please read it back. 17 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 18 was read by the reporter.) 19 THE WITNESS: Which way the water is 20 flowing I think refers to the later sections of 21 the report, if it is relating to different 22 direction. 23 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 24 Q. My question, doctor, is does the water have 25 to be pumped into the water conservation areas? 253 1 A. You can see on reference figure the 2 distribution of outflows from the Everglades 3 Agricultural Area. This is the figure which is 4 labeled as figure 3B, percentage distribution of 5 canal outflows from Everglades Agricultural Area from 6 1973 to 1991. 7 Q. I understand that's the percentage for the 8 study period. 9 My question is in reference to your 10 statement in the report that the water has to be 11 pumped into the Everglades, does the water have to be 12 pumped into the Water Conservation Areas? 13 Is that the only option? 14 A. That's where it is pumped to. 15 Q. Does it have to be pumped there, as the 16 document states? 17 A. The pumps do not pump to West Palm Beach 18 Canal. 19 Q. Which pumps don't pump to the West Palm 20 Beach Canal? 21 A. All the pumps which are at the perimeter of 22 the Everglades Agricultural Area. 23 Q. But those pumps don't need to be turned on 24 either, do they? 25 A. Not to West Palm Beach Canal. 254 1 Q. My question is can water be diverted to the 2 West Palm Beach Canal as opposed to the Water 3 Conservation Areas? 4 A. Yes, water can be diverted to West Palm 5 Beach Canal. 6 Q. Do you recall, doctor, whether the study 7 area for Exhibit 3 is the same study area for 8 Exhibit 2? 9 A. Yes, it is the same. 10 Q. I draw your attention then, continuing on 11 with Exhibit 3, at the introduction section, which is 12 the third page of the document but on the bottom it 13 states page 2, the second sentence states, "The basin 14 area is over 1100 square miles lying in western Palm 15 Beach, eastern Hendry and western Broward Counties. 16 The area in this study includes the sub-basins S-2, 17 S-3, S-5A, S-6, S-7 and S-8, which cover 926.5 square 18 miles." 19 Is the entire EAA covered by this study 20 area? 21 A. The area covered is stated as sub-basins 22 S-2, S-3, S-5A, S-6, S-7 and S-8. 23 Q. What portion of the EAA was not covered by 24 the study? 25 A. The rest of the portions of the EAA are not 255 1 covered. 2 Q. I draw your attention to Exhibit 13. 3 Can you indicate for me what portions are 4 not covered? 5 A. I know the L-8 basin and -- 6 Q. Where is that L-8 basin, sir? 7 A. Anything out of this thick line is not 8 included. 9 Q. Well, what portion of the EAA is outside of 10 that thick line, if you could just indicate it for 11 me? 12 A. I can't tell from this map. 13 Q. Is there another map within the exhibits we 14 have marked where you would be able to identify that? 15 A. I don't remember. 16 Q. Other than the L-8, is there any other 17 portion of the EAA that's not covered by the study? 18 A. The area on the northwest side of the 19 conservation area and the other basins, the basins on 20 the northwest side of the study area are not included 21 in the study. 22 Q. Why were those excluded from the study 23 area? 24 A. I don't remember how the area of study was 25 determined for us to do the study. That was the area 256 1 of study given for me to do the study. 2 Q. You weren't involved in the decision 3 regarding the study area? 4 A. I haven't decided to leave out any of the 5 area. 6 Q. Do you know who did make that decision? 7 A. I don't remember who did. 8 Q. Do you know why the decision, why the 9 decision was made to leave out portions of the EAA 10 from the study area? 11 A. I don't know. The area I studied is shown 12 on the map. 13 Q. Drawing your attention to page 4 of the 14 Exhibit 3, which on the bottom of the page is stated 15 page 3 -- 16 MS. BIRCH: Is it 3 or 4? 17 MR. KOBELINSKI: Actual page 4, but for the 18 record, on the bottom of the page it's listed as 19 3. It's actually the fourth page of the 20 exhibit, though. 21 MS. BIRCH: I see. 22 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 23 Q. In that first full paragraph the final 24 sentence says, "The primary system is designed to 25 remove .75 inches of excess water per day from the 257 1 service area." 2 Are you referring to all pumps including 3 the pumps that pump into Lake Okeechobee in that 4 reference, or just the pumps on the southern and 5 southeastern side of the EAA? 6 A. This is referenced from the original design 7 of the primary canals. That was the capacity to 8 remove three quarters of an inch of runoff from the 9 service area. 10 Q. That would include pumping into Lake 11 Okeechobee? 12 A. I know it is the capacity of the canals, 13 but I am not sure if it included the pump station 14 capacity on both ends. I have to check on that. 15 Q. Is that the capacity on both ends? 16 A. Primarily it is the canal capacity. I'm 17 not sure if the pump capacity is included in this 18 design. 19 Q. Dr. Abtew, what was the entire database for 20 rainfall in the District's computers? 21 MS. BIRCH: Asking him to his knowledge? 22 MR. KOBELINSKI: Yes, and if it shows 23 within this document. 24 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 25 Q. Perhaps I would refer you to page 6 of the 258 1 document, which on the bottom of the page is 2 indicated as page 5. The second to last sentence 3 says, "The average historical (1929-1990) annual 4 rainfall for the EAA is 52.33 inches." 5 Did you obtain that from the District's 6 database? 7 A. The data from 1929 to 1972 is referenced on 8 page 21, Table 1, a document written by Sculley, 9 1986, which is in the reference. 10 The data from '73 to 1991 is from the 11 District database. 12 Q. Do you know where Sculley obtained his 13 information? 14 A. I presume it is from the District database, 15 but you can refer to that document to find out where. 16 Q. How did you make the determination to do a 17 study period from 1973 through 1991 as opposed to the 18 entire database or from 1929 through 1991? 19 A. There was flow data available from '73 to 20 '91. That's one reason, flow data from the area. 21 And second, for many reasons, it was 22 determined 1973 was referred and was a starting point 23 to study that area. So you can say flow data 24 availability. 25 Q. Is there flow data availability prior to 259 1 1973? 2 A. There could be. 3 Q. Does the District have flow data prior to 4 1973? 5 A. Yes. 6 Q. Does the USGS, United States Geological 7 Society have flow data prior to 1973? 8 A. Yes. 9 Q. Is there a difference in the availability 10 prior to '73 than there is subsequent to '73 of flow 11 data? 12 A. I have to check the specific date. 13 Q. Would the period of record that the study 14 encompasses, did using a cut-off from 1973 to 1991 15 have any impact upon the results? 16 A. I don't understand the question. 17 Q. Okay. With regard to your final study 18 which we have been discussing off and on, Exhibit 2, 19 the study area is 1979 to 1990; is that correct? 20 A. That's right. 21 Q. All right. And we have in that same report 22 and in various of your reports you have made 23 reference to the fact that the eighties were 24 generally a lower rainfall period; is that correct? 25 A. That's right. 260 1 Q. Okay. Did the fact that your study, the 2 predominant number of years in your study were a low 3 rainfall period, did that have any impact upon the 4 results of the study? 5 A. There is no results of study. There is 6 documentation in Exhibit 2 for that period. The flow 7 rainfall and other hydrologic parameters are 8 documented. 9 Q. But within Exhibit 2, your study, you do 10 then calculate average rainfall and average yields, 11 which I believe is what you refer to as the net 12 amount of water that's discharged from the EAA as 13 opposed to the net, as compared to what has inflowed 14 into the EAA. 15 You do prepare averages over the period of 16 study; is that correct? 17 A. Yes. 18 Q. Does the period of study selected impact 19 those averages? 20 A. When you change the period of record, the 21 numbers change, but I haven't done a comparison of 22 the '73 to 1990 study and the 1979 to 1990 study to 23 see the magnitude of change because of the changing 24 period of record. I didn't do that comparison. 25 Q. Would you anticipate that the averages for 261 1 the 1979 to 1990 period, given the fact that you 2 recognize that they are generally dryer years, would 3 have resulted in lower averages of rainfall and lower 4 averages of what you refer to as yield from the EAA? 5 A. I have to compare the numbers to make 6 conclusions. 7 Q. You wouldn't be able to make that 8 conclusion without specifically comparing all the 9 numbers? 10 A. I can't make that conclusion without 11 comparing the numbers. 12 Q. Is the yield generally rainfall driven? 13 A. The yield is the net runoff from the ag 14 area, which is the difference between the total 15 runoff minus the irrigation water they pulled off of 16 the canals. 17 That difference is the net runoff of the 18 water generated from the area, which the source is 19 rainfall. 20 Q. So in a dryer year then, would the yield be 21 less because there is less rainfall? 22 A. Depends on the distribution of the 23 rainfall. 24 Q. Given what you have seen of the general 25 rainfall patterns, would the yield be generally less 262 1 in a lower rainfall year? 2 A. Yes, those are the indications observed in 3 general. 4 Q. Dr. Abtew, in your research with regard to 5 the water budget of the EAA study area, you have 6 listed a number of inflow points or stations, water 7 management structures. 8 Are there other water management structures 9 which add water into the EAA that were excluded as a 10 result of the, not including the entire geographic 11 EAA in the study area? 12 MS. BIRCH: Would you read that question 13 back for me? 14 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 15 was read by the reporter.) 16 THE WITNESS: Not that I know of. 17 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 18 Q. Drawing your attention to Exhibit Number 3, 19 page 14, which again at the bottom would be listed as 20 number 13, the first paragraph there of that page 21 refers to the phosphorus loads from different sources 22 of water; is that correct? 23 A. Yes. 24 Q. What does the phosphorus loads of the water 25 have to do with the water budget? 263 1 A. Reference of water quality is pertinent in 2 water resource studies. 3 Q. Well, does the quality of the water impact 4 the water budget? 5 A. The answer is, again, water quality 6 features of water resource studies can be included in 7 water budget. It is at the discretion of the author. 8 Q. Why did you include it? 9 A. Because it makes, it explains the system 10 better with water quality. 11 Q. To what purpose? Does it benefit, for 12 instance, use as a management tool in some fashion? 13 A. Water resource management part is water 14 quality and the other one is water quantity. 15 Q. Did you conduct any study of water quality? 16 A. Yes, I have referenced where I have 17 conducted study, read documents to get this 18 information. 19 Q. But did you yourself conduct any research 20 or studies other than just where the document is 21 referenced? 22 A. No, I don't have to do that to make that 23 statement. 24 Q. Why did you only reference phosphorus and 25 not any other water quality parameters? 264 1 A. Because that is the interest mentioned most 2 in the literature I read. 3 Q. What literature? 4 A. The literature cited earlier by Izuno and 5 literature cited here, which is a Draft Technical 6 Document in Support of Chapter 40E-63, F.A.C., South 7 Florida Water Management District, March 3, 1992 8 document. 9 Q. What is that Draft Technical Document that 10 you just referred to about? 11 A. It has a section on the amount of 12 phosphorus that leaves or gets into the Everglades 13 Agricultural Area. That's where this is referenced 14 from. 15 Q. When you were given the assignment of 16 preparing the water budget, was providing also the 17 phosphorus loads within the basin and out of the 18 basin also one of the assignments that is to be part 19 of the water budget? 20 A. It was not my assignment. 21 Q. Whose assignment was it? 22 A. I am not sure who started or finished up 23 that whole document. 24 Q. No, I'm asking were you instructed to add 25 this section to the water budget? 265 1 MS. BIRCH: Object to form. 2 THE WITNESS: I am the author of the 3 document and I am the one who selects what 4 sections make sense in my article. And it is my 5 decision that referring water quality will give 6 meaning to my paper, for it is an important 7 issue for that area. 8 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 9 Q. Are there any other water quality 10 parameters that are important to the area? 11 A. There could be, but I didn't, it was not 12 cited as primary in those documents. 13 Q. Those documents as being the Izuno and this 14 Draft Technical Document you referred to? 15 A. Yes, I read those documents. 16 Q. Have you read the SWIM Plan? 17 A. I haven't read the SWIM Plan, but I have 18 gone through sections of interest. 19 Q. What would those sections be? 20 A. I glanced through the material, and I 21 haven't made a thorough reading to refer to it. And 22 maybe it is referenced in here that I can check and 23 tell you what section I have referenced in this 24 document. 25 Yes, it is referenced in here and you can 266 1 go to the section and see which part I concentrated 2 on. It is referenced in the document. Apparently 3 there is a section where it is mentioned. 4 Q. Do the phosphorus loads and the phosphorus 5 percentages have any impact upon the water budget? 6 MS. BIRCH: Asked and answered. 7 THE WITNESS: For what time period? 8 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 9 Q. For the time period of your study. 10 A. On page 14 as it is labeled here, page 14, 11 on the last paragraph the SWIM Plan is cited as a 12 reference where water quality has forced the decrease 13 of pumping to the lake through the Interim Action 14 Plan. So you can see water quality has at least 15 influenced the movement, the direction of water flow. 16 Q. Is that the SWIM Plan that -- 17 A. That's the SWIM Plan. 18 Q. Is the Interim Action Plan part of the SWIM 19 Plan? 20 A. No, that reference is from the SWIM Plan. 21 Q. Could you indicate to me what reference you 22 are referring to, sir? 23 A. Page 14 as it is labeled. 24 Q. Yes. 25 A. "There has been a significant decrease in 267 1 the percent of outflows to Lake Okeechobee since the 2 implementation of the Interim Action Plan in 1979 3 which was designed to minimize drainage backpump to 4 the lake." 5 This is cited in the SWIM Plan, which is 6 referenced here as South Florida Water Management 7 District, a 1989 document, which is, at the end you 8 can see is the SWIM Plan. On page 20, the 1989 9 document is the SWIM Plan. 10 Q. Is that the SWIM Plan for the Everglades or 11 SWIM Plan for Lake Okeechobee? 12 A. For Lake Okeechobee, sorry. 13 Q. Okay. Drawing your attention to Exhibit 3, 14 page 17, which is labeled as 16 under the section 15 Consumptive Use, which is at the bottom of the page, 16 the first sentence says, "Consumptive use of the 17 basin which is mainly from evapotranspiration of 18 agricultural crops can be estimated as the sum of 19 available rainfall and supplemental water use." 20 I draw your attention, sir, to the 21 statement that "Consumptive use of the basin which is 22 mainly from evapotranspiration." 23 What else is consumptive use from? 24 A. Well, evapotranspiration can be from either 25 agricultural plants -- 268 1 Q. I'm asking what other consumptive use is 2 there other than evapotranspiration? 3 A. Evaporation losses from plants on fallow 4 land. 5 Q. Wouldn't that still be evapotranspiration? 6 A. But most of it is from agricultural crops 7 which cover most of the area. That's what is meant. 8 Q. So other than evapotranspiration, there is 9 no consumptive use within the EAA? 10 A. There is consumptive use of water within 11 the EAA, meaning the use of water, industrial, some 12 industrial water used and some municipal water used. 13 Q. And how much industrial and municipal water 14 use is there? 15 A. Well, the water that leaves the area, usage 16 is not significant. In the basin, waste water is 17 back in the basin itself after it is used. 18 Q. Well, how is the determination made what 19 the urban and industrial water use is within the 20 study area? 21 A. There is a very small urbanization and the 22 water which is used in the basin didn't leave the 23 basin. The sewage water comes up into the system. 24 And the decrease from the water used is very small in 25 that case. 269 1 In the industrial water used, the water 2 that evaporates in the system is the one which is the 3 net loss. The rest, it flows back through the 4 treatment process, mechanisms, gets back into the 5 same area. 6 So evapotranspiration is the net loss from 7 the region. And if you have to compute industrial 8 water net losses and urban water net losses, the 9 District wasn't doing that study, because it wouldn't 10 affect the amount of water that leaves the basin 11 because of those uses. 12 Q. Drawing your attention, sir, for a moment 13 to Exhibit 4, which was marked as an exhibit to your 14 deposition yesterday, reference is made at the bottom 15 of the exhibit at the first page that this paper was 16 presented at a 51st Annual Meeting of Soil and Crop 17 Science Society of Florida, September 25 to 27, 1991. 18 Is 1991 correct or would that be 1992? 19 A. I don't remember. That's '91, that's 20 right. 21 Q. I'm sorry? 22 A. 1991, as it is written. 23 Q. Then drawing your attention to page 13 of 24 this document and the first full paragraph, is there 25 a typographical error on the final citation of that 270 1 paragraph to a 1992 paper? And the same citation is 2 also on page 14 to 1992 paper. 3 A. What has happened is this was used in the 4 early draft of the study, but this document came out 5 in 1992 as the draft. 6 So the evapotranspiration was done first 7 and the study was done and then applied for a 8 budget -- let me see. 9 This document came out in 1990. It was a 10 draft. 11 Q. You are just referencing a draft document? 12 A. Yes. 13 Q. Which you are saying it will be published 14 in '92 is all you are saying? 15 A. That's it. This was done before the water 16 budget. 17 Q. Okay, I just wanted to make sure -- that's 18 fine. I just want to make sure there wasn't a typo 19 as to when it was presented, that's all. 20 Drawing your attention to Exhibit 6 which 21 was marked at your deposition yesterday, and in 22 particular I draw your attention to page 7, which is 23 entitled Results and Conclusions, and the last 24 sentence of that first paragraph states, "The actual 25 area that generates runoff is estimated as the total 271 1 basin area for the historical period to the end of 2 1986 and since 1987, the area of the Holey Land, a 3 35,000 acre impoundment, was subtracted out." 4 Why was the Holey Land subtracted out? 5 A. Because it became an impoundment and was 6 separated from the general area with a levee and was 7 holding water. 8 Q. I wasn't able to tell, was it separated out 9 in your draft study which is labeled as Exhibit 2 to 10 the deposition as of 1987? 11 A. It's part of the study, but it is taken as 12 one basin for runoff calculation, because water 13 doesn't flow on the surface and get to the EAA or to 14 the canals. It is taken out to calculate runoff in 15 terms of inch per acre. 16 The runoff that left the ag area in terms 17 of acre feet is the same in terms of acre feet, in 18 terms of volume is always the same, but if you have 19 to compare it as amount of inch on each piece of land 20 when you try to convert to depth, then there is 21 interest of getting the actual land which was 22 involved in generating that runoff, so that you have 23 a depth measurement which is second expression for 24 the volume measurement depth that we have. 25 So the volume number stays the same, but if 272 1 you have to put it in terms of how much inch per acre 2 as came out as runoff, then you need to know the 3 actual area that was involved in the runoff. 4 For that reason, after the impoundment is 5 created, it should be taken out to convert runoff 6 into inch for that period. 7 Q. Just so I understand what you are saying, 8 if you don't mind, I'm going to try to put it in my 9 own words, and if I'm wrong, please tell me. 10 What you are saying is the Holey Land was 11 never subtracted when calculating the outflows from 12 the EAA, but the Holey Land within the study for 13 determining what runoff from the ag lands of the EAA 14 was subtracted for the purposes of determining a 15 runoff figure? 16 A. In terms of depth of water, runoff in terms 17 of depth of water over the surface. 18 Q. Okay. Well, was the Rotenberger tract 19 subtracted? 20 A. The Rotenberger tract is not subtracted. 21 Q. But it's not an ag land, is it? 22 A. It's not an ag land, but it is connected 23 with the rest of the area. 24 Q. Okay. The Holey Land gets its water from 25 rainfall and from the Miami Canal; is that correct? 273 1 A. Yes. 2 Q. Your study does not record the inflows into 3 the Holey Land from the Miami Canal, does it? 4 A. Which study? 5 Q. This, the final one, Exhibit 2. 6 A. It doesn't include, because it didn't leave 7 the study area. 8 Q. Okay. And just so I understand, from 9 yesterday's testimony, as I understand it, this 10 Exhibit 2 is a document that incorporates your expert 11 opinion; is that correct? 12 A. I think we can say all the documents are 13 relevant. 14 MR. KOBELINSKI: Off the record. 15 (Discussion held off the record.) 16 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 17 Q. Dr. Abtew, do you intend to present your 18 theoretical ET model as expert testimony at the final 19 hearing? 20 A. I will refer to anything that I did that I 21 think is relevant to my testimony. 22 MR. KOBELINSKI: Could you read that back? 23 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 24 was read by the reporter.) 274 1 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 2 Q. What will your testimony be at trial, sir? 3 What is your expert opinion? 4 A. The subject of my testimony will be the 5 water budget of the Everglades Agricultural Area. 6 Q. I understand what the subject is and that 7 was disclosed in October. 8 What is your expert opinion? What is your 9 expert testimony? 10 A. On what? 11 Q. On that subject. 12 A. I need a specific question. 13 Q. What is your expert opinion on the water 14 budget? 15 A. That's a general area which is, the numbers 16 and the detail is expressed in the documents which 17 you have. 18 Q. Could you identify which of these documents 19 contain your expert opinion that you will be 20 presenting at the final hearing? 21 A. The major documents can be cited as 22 Exhibit 2 and Exhibit 3, but I do not rule out in 23 referring to any other document. 24 Q. Well, what documents have you relied upon 25 in preparing Exhibit 2 and Exhibit 3? 275 1 A. I have cited at the end of the document as 2 reference what I have used for doing the study. 3 Q. Do you intend to present a theoretical ET 4 model as your expert opinion at the final hearing? 5 A. I don't know what kinds of questions I am 6 going to get and I don't know what kind of reference 7 I am going to use. 8 Q. You are aware that you will be providing 9 expert opinion at the final hearing? 10 A. Yes. 11 Q. Have you reached that expert opinion? 12 A. I told you these two documents have the 13 major information on the water budget of the EAA. 14 Q. My question, though, is have you reached 15 your final expert opinion? 16 A. I'm not clear with that question. 17 Q. All right. Are you aware of what it is you 18 are supposed to testify about at the final hearing? 19 A. Matters concerning EAA water budget. 20 Q. What matters? 21 A. Details of the hydrology, in the case of 22 the hydrology of the area. 23 Q. Will you be providing expert opinion on 24 evapotranspiration? 25 A. I don't think the theoretical 276 1 evapotranspiration will be the area that I am going 2 to be witness on. 3 Q. Okay. Do you intend to rely upon the 4 lysimeter study results in preparing your expert 5 opinion? 6 A. No. 7 Q. After 1987 does the Holey Land still 8 produce runoff? 9 A. It's an impoundment. 10 Q. Isn't the entire EAA an impoundment? 11 A. The runoff is pumped out from the EAA, and 12 from the Holey Land there is no pump that's removing 13 runoff. 14 Q. What is your definition of impoundment? 15 A. A water-holding area. 16 Q. Okay. Is the EAA a water-holding area? 17 A. No, it is not an impoundment. 18 Q. Is it surrounded by levees? 19 A. Surrounded by levees, but it's managed as 20 an agricultural area, not like a reservoir. 21 Q. But it does still hold water, doesn't it? 22 A. It's not a water storage area. 23 Q. Can a water storage area produce runoff? 24 A. Through holding the water, that's the 25 definition of runoff changes. If it is a 277 1 water-holding impoundment, the rain will be held in 2 there. It is not running off anywhere. 3 Q. But in the Holey Land are there structures 4 that essentially have boards stopping the water flow, 5 but once the water reached a particular level, it 6 runs over the boards? 7 A. We don't call that runoff by definition. 8 Q. What is that? 9 A. That's water released from the impoundment. 10 Q. Is the difference that one is water that's 11 pumped and one is the water that's released, pumped 12 out? One is pumped out and one is just released? 13 A. The difference is impoundment holds the 14 rainfall. That's what it is. 15 Q. Until it's released; is that correct? 16 A. Until it's released. 17 Q. Doesn't the EAA hold its rainfall in until 18 it's released? 19 A. It's a different system. There is 20 agricultural area where you have to get rid of that 21 water in most cases quickly, and you can tell what is 22 runoff and what is not. 23 And the impoundment water is accumulated 24 and released to a certain program, which the 25 definition of runoff changes. 278 1 Q. The Rotenberger tract, though, was used in 2 determining the calculation of runoff; is that 3 correct? 4 A. I don't know that. 5 Q. Well, can you make reference to your study 6 to make the determination? 7 A. I didn't calculate runoff for the 8 Rotenberger or the Holey Land. 9 Q. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. 10 A. I didn't calculate runoff for the 11 Rotenberger. 12 Q. Why not? Is it an impoundment? 13 A. No, it is not. 14 Q. Is it part of the EAA? 15 A. That's how it is with the rest of the EAA. 16 Q. Is there a water runoff from the 17 Rotenberger tract that is pumped out into the Water 18 Conservation Areas? 19 A. Not to my -- from the Rotenberger? 20 Q. Yes. 21 A. Repeat the question. 22 Q. Is there water runoff from the Rotenberger 23 tract that is ultimately pumped out into the Water 24 Conservation Areas? 25 A. I have never attempted to see which area of 279 1 the EAA is generating the runoff for which specific 2 area. 3 Q. How do you determine what the runoff is per 4 inch or by inch measurement? 5 A. That's another way of expressing the 6 volumetric runoff data. And as I said earlier, you 7 can group the whole area that contributed to the 8 runoff and then get an average depth of water you are 9 holding. 10 Q. And you are able to exclude the Holey Land 11 because it's leveed off; is that correct? 12 A. Separate basin. 13 Q. Except for the seepage which you have shown 14 coming out which is substantially giving the area of 15 the Holey Land; is that correct? 16 A. The seepage that comes out from the Holey 17 Land was substantial with regard to the Holey Land. 18 Q. Right. But you can't exclude the 19 Rotenberger tract, because it's not leveed off; is 20 that correct? 21 A. That's my understanding. 22 Q. So when you are calculating runoff on a per 23 inch basis, what area do you use to divide the water 24 by? 25 A. Everything except the Holey Land. 280 1 Q. So now I go back to my original question. 2 Is the Rotenberger tract used to determine the per 3 inch basis of runoff? 4 A. The per inch basis of runoff calculation is 5 an option to express in terms of inch, but the actual 6 volume runoff from the EAA still stays the same. 7 Q. Right, I appreciate that. 8 A. In that analysis, the Rotenberger was 9 included as part of the whole area that contributes 10 to the runoff, and that area is also included to 11 convert runoff into inches in one of the studies. 12 Q. Understood. And in fact, the water that 13 runs off the Rotenberger tract is part of the water 14 that's pumped off into the Water Conservation Areas? 15 A. That's what I understand. 16 Q. Drawing your attention, sir, to Exhibit 17 Number 6, and on that same page number 7, which is 18 entitled Results and Conclusions, the final sentence 19 says, "While the results of this study can be used to 20 estimate the bimonthly expected occurrences of the 21 hydrologic parameters of the EAA, detail land use, 22 water management, evapotranspiration data and further 23 analysis is required to attach confidence levels on 24 the simulation results." 25 Has that been done? 281 1 A. It's not done. 2 Q. Are you doing it right now? 3 A. I haven't decided when to do it. If there 4 is an available time, I would like to do that study. 5 Q. Have you done any of the research necessary 6 to go ahead and attach confidence levels to your 7 water budget as yet? 8 A. To which document are you referring? 9 Q. To any of the documents that we have 10 discussed over the past day and a half. 11 A. What do you mean by confidence level? 12 Q. Okay, let me go back to Exhibit 10 at page 13 seven. What do you mean by confidence levels on page 14 7 in the last sentence we just read? 15 A. Exhibit 10? 16 Q. I'm sorry, Exhibit 6, I apologize, page 7, 17 Results and Conclusions, final sentence. 18 What did you mean by confidence levels? 19 A. That is confidence level as it is defined 20 in statistics. 21 Q. What is your understanding of that? 22 A. The statistical level of confidence you put 23 on certain simulation results, the chance that you 24 expect it to happen is more or less, that's the 25 definition of confidence level. When you do 282 1 synthetic studies, you usually come up with some 2 percentage of confidence level that this could happen 3 or not. 4 Q. When you do an historical study or model 5 where you have missing data and there must be 6 estimation of data and you don't know all of the 7 inputs, for instance, evapotranspiration, rainfall, 8 do you also in that instance calculate confidence 9 levels? 10 A. No, I don't put confidence level in that 11 kind of study normally. 12 Q. Why not? 13 A. If you have a better study, you will use 14 that. If you don't have it -- if you have it, if you 15 have a better study, you use the other one. 16 If you don't have it, you use this one, 17 because it is historical-based study. There is no 18 confidence level attached to it. 19 Q. Okay. Would you be able to, drawing your 20 attention to Exhibit 2, would you be able to put a 21 confidence level on Exhibit 2? 22 A. As I said, I can't put a confidence level 23 on that historical study unless there is some 24 reference to compare to. This is statistics. That 25 is statistical procedure for the synthetic data that 283 1 can be applied and the confidence level can be 2 different. 3 Q. Drawing your attention if I could to 4 Exhibit 7 which was marked yesterday to your 5 deposition, on page 4 of that document, which is 6 entitled Part 2, Comments On The Draft Report By 7 Abtew and Khanal, the second sentence of the first 8 paragraph says, "More detailed comments have been 9 written in two copies of the draft report and have 10 been submitted to Ginger Brooks." 11 Do you have the more detailed comments on 12 the draft report? 13 A. I think I submitted to you. 14 (Discussion held off the record.) 15 (Thereupon, a recess was taken.) 16 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 17 Q. Dr. Abtew, do you recall whether or not you 18 still have the two copies of the draft report with 19 more detailed comments? 20 A. I have to check. 21 Q. Reference is made in this Exhibit 7 in the 22 first page to a comparison of the water budget for 23 the EAA that you prepared and the water budget for 24 the EAA developed by the, using the South Florida 25 Water Management Model. 284 1 Have you ever seen the water budget 2 prepared by the South Florida Water Management Model? 3 A. Yes. 4 Q. Have you ever compared it to your water 5 budget? 6 A. It came out after I did my water budget. 7 Q. Did you ever compare it to your water 8 budget? 9 A. Yes, I did compare it with my water budget. 10 Q. How did it compare? 11 A. I don't remember. 12 Q. Did you make any notes or memo regarding 13 that comparison? 14 A. No. 15 Q. Do you still have a copy of that water 16 budget? 17 A. I don't know. 18 Q. Well, when did you see the water budget 19 last that was prepared using the South Florida Water 20 Management Model? 21 A. It's a brief, has a table or graphics which 22 summarizes. 23 Q. Whichever form. 24 A. And the thick document, I don't remember a 25 thick document. This is a result of model run. Mine 285 1 is a summary of historical data. 2 So it is not an equal for comparison, so it 3 was not of great concern for me to compare the two. 4 Q. My question was when did you last see the 5 water budget prepared using the South Florida Water 6 Management Model? 7 A. I don't remember, but a long time back. 8 Q. A long time back would mean approximately 9 how long ago? 10 A. Well, maybe a year. 11 Q. Did you see it after it was recalibrated? 12 A. I don't remember if it was after 13 recalibration. 14 Q. Perhaps we can read back your testimony, 15 but it was my understanding you had said you saw the 16 budget prepared using the South Florida Water 17 Management Model after you had completed your budget; 18 is that correct? 19 A. That's right. 20 Q. When did you complete your budget? 21 A. I don't remember when it was completed. I 22 don't remember when the first draft came out. 23 Q. You are referring to the first draft then? 24 A. That's right. 25 Q. Having reviewed the South Florida Water 286 1 Management Model budget while you were still in the 2 stages of preparing the or revising drafts of your 3 budget, did you make any changes as a result of that 4 review? 5 A. Not at all. 6 Q. Why not? 7 A. Because there is no reason to. 8 Q. You made reference that yours is an 9 historical water budget; is that correct? 10 A. That's right. 11 Q. Is it your understanding that the South 12 Florida Water Management Model is something other 13 than an historical budget? 14 A. I haven't run the model, so I can't label 15 it except as a result of model run I can't categorize 16 it as historical or not historical. 17 Q. Well, you had said there was no means of 18 comparison since it was not an historical model. 19 Is it your understanding now that you 20 really don't know whether it's an historical model? 21 A. I don't know, I have to look for the data 22 that was used for the model run and the whole details 23 to make comparison with my water budget. 24 MR. KOBELINSKI: Will you mark that? 287 1 (The document was marked 2 Abtew Exh. No. 14.) 3 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 4 Q. Dr. Abtew, I'm showing you what's been 5 marked as Exhibit 14 to your deposition, which is a 6 document, the first page which is a memorandum from 7 Jayantha Okeysekera and Cal Neidrauer to Tony 8 Federico dated October 24, 1991, Bates number 0932181 9 through 0932210. 10 Have you ever seen this document before, 11 doctor? 12 A. I have seen this document. 13 Q. Drawing your attention to the first page of 14 the document -- excuse me, the second page of the 15 document, which is Bates number 0932182, in the first 16 paragraph under Introduction, the second to last 17 sentence states, "Water budgets are typically 18 developed for both average conditions and for a 19 particular time window such as a drought period." 20 Is that essentially what you did for your 21 water budget? 22 A. I don't understand that statement. 23 Q. Well, are water budgets typically developed 24 for average conditions? 25 A. For all conditions, water budgets are 288 1 developed for all conditions. 2 Q. In preparing a water budget, do you 3 typically also prepare a budget for a particular time 4 window such as a drought period? 5 A. If you are interested in a certain period. 6 Q. Is that typical? 7 MS. BIRCH: Object to form. 8 THE WITNESS: It depends on the user. You 9 can prepare it for a flood period, you can 10 prepare it for a dry period or for your 11 historical period. So it depends on the 12 objective. 13 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 14 Q. So essentially, as the document says, water 15 budgets are typically developed for both average 16 conditions and for a particular time window? 17 A. I can say for all periods. 18 Q. I don't know what you mean by all periods. 19 A. It depends on the interest of the person 20 who is developing it. 21 Q. As to whether they want a particular time 22 period or an average budget? 23 A. Or a dry period or a wet period. 24 Q. But a dry period would be a particular time 25 period, wouldn't it? 289 1 A. As a time period, it could be a particular 2 period of interest. 3 Q. As could a flood period? 4 A. That is also one period. 5 Q. I'm trying to understand what is it you 6 disagree or don't understand about the sentence then, 7 doctor? 8 A. Well, this is not complete. 9 Q. What should it state to make it complete? 10 A. I can't suggest for them. That's 11 somebody's statement. 12 Q. In your opinion, what would you add to make 13 it complete? 14 A. Water budget is prepared for all scenarios, 15 all periods, historical periods, dry periods, wet 16 periods, short periods, long periods, all periods of 17 interest. It's not only the average in the dry. 18 Q. I'm not sure -- 19 A. That's a difficult statement. 20 Q. I think you are just reading it with a very 21 narrow -- it says "for a particular time window such 22 as a drought period." It does not say a drought 23 period. It just says such as. It's using an example 24 period. 25 A. That would have been more explanatory. 290 1 Q. Now in the following paragraph it goes on 2 to state, "For planning purposes, two types of water 3 budgets can be defined: (A) Historical water 4 budgets; and (B), simulated water budgets." 5 Is that correct? 6 A. I didn't write this document and I don't 7 recall -- well, I have to read the document and 8 refresh my memory to comment on every line. 9 Q. I'm just asking generally for planning 10 purposes whether water budgets can be defined as 11 historical water budgets and simulated water budgets, 12 whether that's correct. 13 MS. BIRCH: I object on the ground that 14 this witness isn't competent to testify as to 15 the planning purposes. He is not in the 16 planning department. 17 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 18 Q. What other types of water budgets are there 19 other than historical and simulated? 20 A. You can go maybe theoretical water budgets 21 can be included as one. In some cases it can be 22 similar to the water budget, depending on what you 23 are doing. 24 Q. What would be the difference between a 25 simulated and a theoretical water budget? 291 1 A. It would depend on how you generate your 2 data. Based on historical data, you can simulate 3 many areas of data, or if you don't have any 4 hydrology data for an area, you can start from 5 theoretical grounds and make up a theoretical, take a 6 theoretical approach to get your data. 7 Q. Drawing your attention to Bates page 8 0932185 of this Exhibit 14, and the second paragraph 9 in the Results section, the third sentence states, 10 "It can also be used to make relative comparisons," 11 it referring to the model water budget, "can also be 12 used to make relative comparisons between the 13 regional and sub-regional water supply plans. For 14 this purpose, a simulated water budget would have to 15 be developed for a selected structural and 16 operational alternative as opposed to the historical 17 water budget reported here." 18 Does that refresh your recollection as to 19 whether the water budget prepared using the South 20 Florida Water Management Model was an historical 21 water budget as opposed to a simulated water budget? 22 A. I have to read the whole document. 23 Q. Please feel free to do so. 24 (Discussion held off the record.) 25 THE WITNESS: What was the question? 292 1 MR. KOBELINSKI: Could you read back the 2 question, please? 3 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 4 was read by the reporter.) 5 THE WITNESS: I can't label it as 6 historical water budget. 7 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 8 Q. Why not? 9 A. Because that's what is cited in the 10 document on page 0932185, the first paragraph, "The 11 ET computed by the South Florida Water Management 12 Model and reported here does not include this 13 supplemental water use, and therefore it is likely 14 smaller than the actual evapotranspiration from the 15 selected urban areas. If an adjustment to ET is made 16 to account for the supplemental use, the well field 17 pumpage figures as produced in the water budget must 18 also be adjusted. It is noted that the model 19 simulates pumpage only from the major utility well 20 fields and the remaining withdrawals." 21 And on page 0932184, "The components of 22 evapotranspiration, surface water inflow and 23 outflow --" 24 Q. Pardon me, doctor, you have got to identify 25 where it is you are reading, because I'm trying to 293 1 follow, but I can't even find it. 2 A. The paragraph which starts, the second 3 paragraph, "For each --" 4 Q. Thank you. 5 A. "The components of evapotranspiration, 6 surface water inflow and outflow, ground water inflow 7 and outflow (including levee seepage), and both 8 surface and ground water storage changes were 9 estimated from the model." 10 So a simulation based on historical data is 11 not the same level of historical data as the other 12 document which didn't involve all these things as 13 estimated. 14 Q. Page 0932185, and that's regarding well 15 fields, isn't that discussing the model's water 16 budget for the urban area on the lower east coast and 17 doesn't have to do with the EAA? 18 A. That's right, but that's how it functioned. 19 Q. I was referring to the model's EAA budget. 20 A. The whole model is run through the whole 21 region and the results are computed for each 22 sub-region. 23 Q. Is it your understanding then that they did 24 not add in the structure inflow data into the model? 25 That wasn't historic data for the EAA I'm 294 1 referring to now. 2 A. Let me get to the EAA section. 3 Q. I believe you will find it at Bates page 4 0932191. 5 A. On that page the EAA that was used in this 6 study was a different size area than the one which 7 was used in document two. 8 Q. Did they use different structural inflows? 9 A. Different area. 10 Q. I understand that. 11 A. The area is different. 12 Q. I understand that. Do they use different 13 structural inflows? 14 MS. BIRCH: Objection, lack of foundation. 15 THE WITNESS: I have to study the data they 16 used to determine if it was the same data that 17 they have used. 18 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 19 Q. Well, what other data could they have used? 20 A. I don't know. 21 Q. Well, do you know what data is available 22 for, for instance, S-352? 23 A. I have to study what data they used and how 24 they run the model and what the model does and how 25 these numbers are generated to comment on those 295 1 numbers. 2 Q. I'm not asking you to comment on the 3 numbers. I'm asking what data sets are available for 4 inflows at S-352? 5 A. For what period? 6 Q. For the period from 1979 through 1990. 7 A. This data should be available in the 8 database, the District database. 9 Q. What other data is available? 10 A. I don't know. 11 Q. Do you know whether the USGS has reported 12 data for S-352? 13 A. I don't remember how many sets of data 14 there are for that structure. 15 Q. Do you recall whether anyone else has a 16 data set for that structure? 17 A. I don't recall. 18 Q. How many data sets are available for S-5, 19 the S-5 structures? 20 A. I can't tell. 21 Q. Do you recall any? 22 A. I can't tell how many records is there for 23 each structure without seeing the database. 24 Q. That's what I'm asking, sir. How many 25 databases are there for the S-5 structures? 296 1 A. There is only one database in the District. 2 Q. Is there any other database for the S-5 3 structures other than the District? 4 A. I don't know. USGS has data. 5 Q. In fact, you used some of the USGS data for 6 the S-5; is that correct? 7 A. Yes. 8 Q. So that's one other data set. 9 Does the Corps have a data set for the S-5 10 structure? 11 A. I don't know. 12 Q. Is there anyone else you know besides USGS 13 and the District? 14 A. I don't know. 15 Q. What about for the S-6? Who has data sets 16 for the S-6 that you are aware of? 17 A. I don't know, except the District database. 18 Q. What about USGS? 19 A. I have to check. 20 Q. Did you use any USGS data for S-6? 21 A. I have to check in the document or in the 22 database to see if there are USGS stations. 23 Q. Is there any place you can check within the 24 document to determine that? 25 A. I don't think it is labeled as USGS and 297 1 District in my document. 2 MS. BIRCH: What was the last response? 3 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 4 was read by the reporter.) 5 THE WITNESS: I have to go to database to 6 see how many of the structures have USGS label 7 on the data and District label. 8 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 9 Q. Would that be true of all the structures? 10 A. Yes, I have to check with all the 11 structures. 12 Q. Do you know what data was used for the 13 South Florida Water Management Model for structure 14 outflows? 15 A. I don't remember exactly what data was 16 used. 17 Q. If they used the same data, should they 18 have come out with the same figures you have? 19 MS. BIRCH: Objection, calls for 20 speculation and conclusion. 21 THE WITNESS: I don't know the data they 22 used and how the model operates and the 23 coefficients and all the assumptions they used. 24 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 25 Q. What coefficients would you need to use to 298 1 determine what outflows were given the database? 2 A. You have to know how they compute water 3 through the system and everything that is quoted as 4 assumption or as algorithm to say something on the 5 results. 6 Q. Did you use some sort of coefficient to 7 determine what the outflows were? 8 A. Not the outflows. With regard to the 9 outflows, you have to know how the model uses the 10 historical data with regard to flows and how does it 11 compute evapotranspiration, how does it compute 12 changing ground water state? Because I think it is 13 part of the model operation. 14 So you have to have the detail how it is 15 run to comment on if these results are anything when 16 compared to the historical data. 17 Q. All right. If the SFWMM, South Florida 18 Water Management Model merely reports what the 19 structural outflows were without making any 20 coefficients or algorithms with it, should their data 21 match up with your data on what the, just the 22 discharges from the structures were? 23 MS. BIRCH: Objection to relevancy and 24 objection to the witness not being competent to 25 testify as to the planning department's water 299 1 budgets and also the conclusions that you are 2 asking him to draw. 3 THE WITNESS: The period of record is not 4 the same. And what data they have used and what 5 they did with the missing data, I don't know. 6 So I'm not the one to ask these questions, 7 because I didn't write this document. 8 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 9 Q. So manipulation of missing data could have 10 an impact on what the outflows were from the 11 structures? 12 A. It could, depending on how many missing 13 data for that specific period. 14 Q. What data set did you use for the S-8 15 structure? 16 A. It's in Exhibit 2 in my case. 17 Q. Do you recall whether that was all District 18 data or did it include USGS data? 19 A. I don't recall. On page 0900260, Table 7 20 shows the number of data sources or DBKeys that were 21 used for S-8. 22 Q. Would those be DBKeys for retrieving data 23 from the South Florida Water Management District? 24 A. That's right. 25 Q. Is there anywhere in your document that you 300 1 reference use of the USGS flow structure data? 2 A. It's not referenced for every structure. 3 Q. Is it referenced for any structure? 4 A. The District database has both sources, 5 both District data and USGS data, so you pull it out 6 actually from the District database, whatever it is. 7 Q. And would these DBKeys be the ones you need 8 to pull up both the District and the USGS data? 9 A. Yes, some of the DBKeys are USGS and some 10 are District in terms of -- 11 Q. Is there a way to distinguish which is 12 which? 13 A. I can't tell without seeing the document. 14 Q. How do you calculate net yield? 15 A. The equations in, it is calculated as the 16 difference between runoff and supplemental water. 17 Q. Where would I find that, sir? 18 A. On page 0900289 in Exhibit 2. 19 MR. PERKO: Could you refer to the draft 20 page? 21 THE WITNESS: Draft page number 46. 22 MR. PERKO: Thank you. 23 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 24 Q. With regard to that on that page, draft 25 page 46, Bates number 0900289 on Exhibit 2, just 301 1 reading the first three sentences of that paragraph 2 under Net Yield states, "Net yield is the volume of 3 water that is contributed to the EAA to the region's 4 surface water." 5 A. By the EAA. 6 Q. Sorry, "by the EAA to the region's surface 7 water. The source of this water is the excess 8 rainfall." 9 And it goes on to state that "This water 10 yield is calculated as the difference between runoff 11 and supplemental water or as the positive difference 12 between outflows and inflows." 13 What outflows and inflows are referenced in 14 that second portion of the calculation? 15 A. The daily outflows are the outflows which 16 leave the agricultural area, and the daily inflows 17 are the inflows which come into the ag area. 18 Q. And that would be in reference to the 19 structures we were just discussing, which I believe 20 you had referenced were on, for instance, page 18, 21 Bates page 0900260? 22 A. Yes, from the structures. 23 Q. And drawing your attention to draft page 24 43, Table 14, which is at Bates page 0900286 of the 25 same Exhibit Number 2, how is the net yield 302 1 calculated there, in the same manner? 2 A. Yes, as a difference between runoff and 3 irrigation water used or supplemental water used. 4 Q. Would there be any difference between 5 calculating net yield as the difference between 6 runoff and supplemental water use as opposed to 7 calculating net yield as the difference between 8 outflows and inflows? 9 A. There would not be difference. 10 Q. Now in this Table 14 the first column or 11 water year, what is the water year you are referring 12 to? 13 Is that as referenced on draft page 14 0900244, which states, "The water year is defined to 15 be that period beginning with November 1 and ending 16 on October 31 of each year"? 17 MS. BIRCH: What page are you referring to 18 again? 19 MR. KOBELINSKI: Draft page 2. 20 MS. BIRCH: He hasn't gotten there yet. 21 THE WITNESS: Yes, that's the period. 22 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 23 Q. Okay. Now 1989 and 1990 on Table 14 show a 24 zero net yield. 25 Do you know why? Were there any factors 303 1 that resulted in a zero net yield? 2 A. Those were dry years. That's why there was 3 no net yield. 4 Q. Am I correct that you just made reference 5 to a Table 11 on draft page 34 bearing Bates number 6 0900277? 7 A. That's right. 8 Q. With regard to that Table 11, what are 9 estimated return periods? 10 A. This is the probability of getting that 11 size of rainfall. Every ten years you get -- when 12 you get it once every 10 years, the return period is 13 called 10-year rain return period. 14 MR. KOBELINSKI: Let's take a five-minute 15 break. 16 (Thereupon, a recess was taken.) 17 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 18 Q. Dr. Abtew, I draw your attention to Exhibit 19 Number 7, page 4 of that exhibit. 20 Approximately the third paragraph from the 21 bottom states, this is comments on your report, 22 "Since ET was computed by three different methods, it 23 was not clear from the report which ET was 24 recommended as the ET for the water budget. It makes 25 sense that the ET computed using the water balance 304 1 equation (Equation 44) best represents the actual ET, 2 but this is not clear from the report." 3 In your opinion, which is the best method 4 for calculating ET given the methods referenced in 5 your report? 6 A. I haven't considered all the reverse 7 opinions on the report yet. 8 Q. I wasn't asking you for other opinions. 9 In your opinion, which of the -- well, how 10 many different methods did you use to calculate ET? 11 A. Just two. 12 Q. One being the theoretical? 13 A. Yes. 14 Q. What would you refer to the other one as? 15 A. Water budget ET. 16 Q. Would you refer to both those estimates or 17 calculations? What's the more accurate term? 18 A. Both are estimates. 19 Q. Okay. Which of those two estimates in your 20 opinion is the more accurate? 21 MS. BIRCH: Object to form. 22 THE WITNESS: It's complementary, both are 23 complementary. 24 The theoretical is a check, if you are out 25 of the bounds of what could be theoretically, 305 1 and the actual ET has possible errors in your 2 rainfall estimation, outflow measurements, has 3 possible error. Theoretical is a reference. 4 Until you have measured ET, the theoretical is 5 used as a reference, to estimate what is 6 expected in theoretical. 7 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 8 Q. Well, have you now measured ET? 9 A. Not yet. 10 Q. When you are referring to measuring ET, are 11 you referring to, for instance, the use of a 12 lysimeter? 13 A. That's right. 14 Q. Do you intend to use the lysimeter to 15 measure the ET in the EAA other than for marsh 16 plants? 17 A. I would recommend so, but I don't have the 18 plan to do that. 19 Q. Which estimate of ET that you have done, 20 the theoretical and the water budget, do you have the 21 greater degree of confidence? 22 MS. BIRCH: Objection to the assumptions 23 that the question requires him to make. 24 THE WITNESS: I have used the theoretical 25 ET to calculate water budget for the Holey Land, 306 1 and so I don't see any reason to put confidence 2 level with just one piece of study out of one 3 unit of study. 4 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 5 Q. Does the theoretical ET estimate match the 6 water budget ET estimate for the Everglades 7 Agricultural Area? 8 A. It's fairly close. 9 Q. Where would I be able to compare, how would 10 I compare the two using your report, Exhibit 11 Number 2? 12 A. On page, draft page number 56, which is 13 0900299, and in the last paragraph, the fifth line 14 from the bottom. 15 Q. And are you referring to the portion of the 16 paragraph that reads -- 17 A. "The average consumptive use to pan 18 evaporation ratio for the study period was .60. The 19 ratio of water balance consumptive use to pan 20 evaporation is lower than the ratio of theoretical 21 evapotranspiration to pan evaporation which is .72." 22 Q. For the water budget ET estimate, was pan 23 evaporation used as the method of calculating ET? 24 A. For the theoretical? 25 Q. No, for the water budget estimate. 307 1 A. No, just flow of water. 2 Q. Well, the .60 as compared to .72 that you 3 are referring to, isn't the .60 the comparison or the 4 ratio of area's consumptive use to pan evaporation 5 ratio? 6 A. Yes, so the difference is one tenth. In 7 the coefficient it is about one-tenth. 8 Q. Okay. What is pan evaporation used for, in 9 which estimate? 10 A. In the theoretical evapotranspiration. 11 Q. In the reference there to the sentence 12 above the .60 it states "the average consumptive use 13 to pan evaporation ratio." 14 What does average consumptive use refer to 15 there? Is that the water budget ET estimate? 16 A. Yes, that's correct. 17 Q. Up above in Table 18 you have in the first 18 column Water Year and the second column Water Balance 19 ET. 20 That's the consumptive use table? 21 A. Yes. 22 Q. And ultimately the average of that is 23 compared to the pan evaporation which is in the next 24 column is where you get the .60; is that correct? 25 A. Yes. 308 1 Q. Is there a like table which provides the 2 .72 figure? 3 A. In Table 9, draft page 27. On the last 4 column, the last number is .72. That's the average 5 for all the crops, area weighted average that you 6 have, you have to multiply the pan data with. 7 MR. KOBELINSKI: Off the record. 8 (Discussion held off the record.) 9 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 10 Q. Dr. Abtew, Table 18, water balance ET in 11 inches is 39.29; is that correct? 12 A. That's my estimate. 13 Q. Okay. And now Table 9 does not have the 14 same inch calculation, but to back into that inch 15 calculation, would you take the .72, which is the 16 weighted average, and multiply that times the average 17 pan evaporation, which is 65.60? 18 A. That's right. 19 Q. Which is 47.232, the difference being 7.942 20 inches; is that correct? 21 A. Yes. 22 MS. BIRCH: Where do you see those figures? 23 MR. KOBELINSKI: We had to back into that. 24 Would you like me to go through it again? 25 MS. BIRCH: I just was looking on a 309 1 document. It's not on a document? 2 MR. KOBELINSKI: No, the two tables are 3 reported differently. One is in inches one is 4 in weighted averages. 5 MS. BIRCH: So you are using your 6 calculator? 7 MR. KOBELINSKI: Yes, backing into it in 8 the manner which Dr. Abtew has agreed with. 9 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 10 Q. Is that correct? 11 A. Yes. One thing that we have to know is 12 like the runoff, the volume of water was distributed 13 to a certain area to get this water budget ET. 14 Again, to estimate the actual crop land or 15 area that was evapotranspiring, it was subjective 16 judgment. I had to estimate actually every day how 17 much of the area was doing evapotranspiration. 18 So when you convert from acre feet to inch, 19 the same problem like in the runoff arises here, too. 20 You have to make judgment how much a rise actual acre 21 is evapotranspiring, so that determines the amount 22 you are going to get in inch. 23 But if we go back to the acre feet or 24 volumetric data, it stays the same. It doesn't 25 change, because it is computed out of historical flow 310 1 data. So this is a subjective number. It's not 2 absolute. 3 Q. Well, taking the difference between the two 4 estimates, one averages 39.29, which is the water 5 budget estimate; is that correct? 6 A. That's right. 7 Q. And the other estimate is 47.232, which is 8 the theoretical estimate? 9 A. Yes. 10 Q. Which that difference is 7.942 inches. 11 A. Uh huh. 12 Q. Okay. Taking that, if I want to convert 13 that to acre feet, as I understand from what you were 14 telling me yesterday, I divide that by 12, which is 15 equal to 0.66183333333. 16 A. Feet. 17 Q. Feet. And then I would multiply that by 18 the study area; is that correct, in acres? 19 A. If you think the whole study area 20 evaporated your water. 21 One thing, when you do the inch 22 calculation, it's very tricky. The rainfall has to 23 be computed in a certain area that is connected, and 24 the area that is evaporating has to be determined. 25 So it's not simple. 311 1 Q. In Table 14, which is on draft page 43, 2 Bates number 0900286, where you are comparing net 3 yield to rainfall, that net yield was for the entire 4 basin, study basin, right, the 592,000 acres? 5 A. Up to 1987. And the Holey Land is taken 6 out. It doesn't matter, because if you did it with 7 acre feet, it doesn't matter, because it is a volume 8 of water from where it comes. It doesn't matter. 9 The whole trick is when you convert this volume water 10 into depth of an area. 11 Q. Going back to Table 18 then, the first 12 column says Water Balance ET in inches. 13 How do I know how many acres those inches 14 would cover or evapotranspire from? 15 A. You just mix subjective calculation of the 16 area. The actual volume of the water in acre feet is 17 computed by equation 44 on page, draft page 25. 18 Q. And that says ET is equal to rain plus 19 canal inflow minus canal outflow? 20 A. Yes. 21 Q. The rain that is referenced in equation 44 22 is the rain on the entire study area, isn't it? 23 A. Yes. 24 Q. Then why would you decrease the area for 25 determining what to multiply the second column of 312 1 Table 18 by to determine acre feet? 2 A. If you want to calculate average ET from 3 the whole area, you don't have to change any area. 4 You can divide it by the whole area. 5 Q. So I can use the 592,000 figure to find the 6 average acre feet of ET? 7 A. From the whole area? 8 Q. From the whole area. 9 A. Yes, that should give that. 10 Q. And that entire area is 592,960; is that 11 correct? 12 A. Yes. 13 Q. So going back to where we were before, the 14 ET by the water balance method resulted in an average 15 of 39.29 inches of ET, and the ET by the theoretical 16 method was 47.232 inches of ET. 17 And subtracting one from the other results 18 in a difference of 7.942 inches, which we have 19 divided by 12, which gave us our figure of 20 0.66183333333. 21 Now multiply that by the 592,960 acres to 22 determine the difference in acre feet; is that 23 correct? 24 A. Yes. 25 Q. Which would be 392,448 acre feet difference 313 1 between the two ET estimates. 2 Is that a large difference, roughly 392,000 3 acre feet? 4 A. It's a lot of water. 5 Q. Given that difference with your 6 calculations, the difference between the average ET 7 balance by acre feet, which do you feel is the more 8 accurate estimate? 9 MS. BIRCH: Objection, asked and answered. 10 I also object to the form on the assumption 11 that one is more accurate than the other. 12 THE WITNESS: Both are presented for 13 reference in this document, and the actual value 14 could be in between, and until it is measured, I 15 think both are present to produce a background 16 with the perspective being theoretical and one 17 being product of water budget study. 18 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 19 Q. One is clearly, though, more accurate than 20 the other by necessity, right, unless ET happens to 21 be right smack in the middle, which would be 22 approximately 181,000 acre feet over and above the 23 water budget ET? 24 MS. BIRCH: Object to form. 314 1 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 2 Q. Is that correct? 3 A. Again, as I said, the actual historical 4 data from the whole area can be computed from 5 equation 44, the rainfall, converted into acre feet 6 of rainfall. Then you would have a volume of water 7 that has evaporated directly in acre feet from the 8 whole area. 9 Q. Let me ask you this question then. 10 In equation 44, which is the means of 11 determining the water budget estimate, that is, if I 12 recall correctly, rain plus structure inflow, less 13 structure outflow; is that correct? 14 A. Yes. 15 Q. Now the rain that you used in equation 44, 16 did you use the same estimate for rain in determining 17 the theoretical ET? 18 A. No, the rainfall is not part of the 19 theoretical estimate. 20 Q. Instead, that's what we went through 21 yesterday with all the coefficients; is that correct? 22 A. Yes, uh huh. 23 Q. Dr. Abtew, with regard to negative flows 24 from the S-5A and S-5AW structures, how did you 25 determine what the source of the flows were and 315 1 whether or not the flows went into the EAA as opposed 2 to into the West Palm Beach Canal? 3 A. Which structures specifically? 4 Q. The ones at the head of the Water 5 Conservation Area 1, S-5A and S-5AW, I believe it is. 6 A. In the District database there is a data 7 for both S-5A pump station and S-5AW culvert. 8 If the daily data is positive, it means 9 water is leaving the ag area. If it is negative, it 10 means it's coming to the ag area. 11 Q. But how would you determine the source of 12 the water, whether it was by L-8, C-51 or WCA-1? 13 A. For this study, I didn't have to determine 14 that, because all my interest was how much 15 came into the EAA. 16 Q. Well, if you recall, yesterday we were 17 talking about your calculations of what percentage of 18 the water that came into the EAA was from the WCAs, 19 and you had calculated it as 1.7 percent; is that 20 correct? 21 A. Yes. 22 Q. How did you determine whether or not water 23 was coming out of WCA-1 in calculating that 1.7 24 percent? 25 A. In that study it is mentioned only the 316 1 Conservation Area 2 flows through structures S-6, 2 S-7, S-8 and S-150 without including the S-5A 3 complex. 4 Q. The structures that allow inflow from the 5 Lake Okeechobee into the agricultural areas are 6 hurricane gates; is that correct? 7 A. Yes. 8 Q. How accurate do you believe the recorded or 9 reported flows for those gates are? 10 A. I don't know. 11 Q. Did you do anything to determine the 12 accuracy? 13 A. I haven't done anything to determine how 14 accurate the data is. 15 Q. With regard to the pump stations, various 16 pump stations with discharge and inflow data you 17 used, did you ever check the pump ratings used by the 18 agencies to calculate the discharge? 19 A. I haven't checked the accuracy of the 20 operation of the structures. 21 Q. Dr. Abtew, with regard to your expected 22 expert testimony at trial, is your testimony limited 23 to presenting the water budget or will you be 24 actually using the water budget in analysis of any 25 other feature or issue involved in this action? 317 1 A. I don't understand the question. 2 Q. You have prepared a water budget for the 3 EAA; is that correct? 4 A. That's right. 5 Q. Do you intend to use that water budget for 6 the purposes of conducting any additional research or 7 for coming to any additional expert opinion? 8 A. I don't know. 9 Q. Well, have you been told that you are to do 10 or testify as regarding additional matters? 11 A. Right now the only expert testimony I am 12 going to provide is on EAA water budget. 13 I don't know in the future what area I am 14 going to be expert witness on. 15 Q. Will you be providing expert testimony on 16 the phosphorus loads from the EAA or going into the 17 EAA? 18 A. I'm not asked, I am not scheduled for that. 19 Q. Will you be giving an expert opinion as to 20 the impacts, if any, of BMPs upon the EAA water 21 budget? 22 A. I don't know. 23 Q. Have you prepared an expert opinion as to 24 that as of this time? 25 A. I am not asked to give expert opinion on 318 1 that subject until now. 2 Q. Do you have an expert opinion as to the 3 impact, if any, of BMPs upon the EAA water budget at 4 this time? 5 A. I don't want to determine any subject that 6 I am able to be expert, give expert testimony on 7 without clearly reading the area that I have to 8 testify on. So I can't rule out any subject right 9 now. 10 Q. No, I'm not asking you to rule out a 11 subject. 12 My question is do you currently right now 13 as you sit at this table have an expert opinion as to 14 what impact, if any, the BMPs that are proposed in 15 40E-63 will have upon the EAA water budget? 16 A. I haven't studied that problem. I haven't 17 determined, I haven't determined my opinions. 18 Q. Do you have an opinion as to the 19 effectiveness of the BMPs that are referred to in 20 40E-63? 21 A. I don't remember what are mentioned in 22 there. 23 Q. So you have no expert opinion on the 24 effectiveness of those BMPs at this time? 25 A. What I said is I haven't prepared my 319 1 opinions on that subject yet, but if I am called to, 2 I have the potential to be expert witness in that 3 area. 4 Q. Do you currently have an expert opinion as 5 to what impact, if any, the Stormwater Treatment 6 Areas referred to in the SWIM Plan would have upon 7 the EAA water budget? 8 A. Repeat the question. 9 (Thereupon, a portion of the record 10 was read by the reporter.) 11 THE WITNESS: It might increase 12 evapotranspiration than what it used to be 13 before the development of the STAs are in place. 14 BY MR. KOBELINSKI: 15 Q. On what do you base that opinion? 16 A. On the work I did on evapotranspiration, I 17 estimate that wetland systems and wetland vegetation 18 could transpire more than agricultural crops. 19 Q. Do you have any opinion as to what the 20 difference in ET would be? 21 A. I can't quantify the numbers now. 22 Q. Do you have an opinion as to whether there 23 would be any other impact besides an impact upon ET 24 resulting from the STAs referred to in the SWIM Plan? 25 I'm referring to any impact upon the EAA water 320 1 budget. 2 A. I haven't studied that area. 3 Q. Do you have any other expert opinions that 4 you will be testifying about that we have yet to 5 discuss? 6 A. Not that I know of. 7 MR. KOBELINSKI: Okay, I have no further 8 questions. 9 MR. PERKO: Just a couple of follow-ups. 10 REDIRECT (Wossenu Abtew, Ph.D.) 11 BY MR. PERKO: 12 Q. I'm a bit confused about the discussion you 13 just had with Mr. Kobelinski. 14 Is it your understanding that your expert 15 testimony at the final hearing will include an 16 analysis of evapotranspiration of wetland plants? 17 A. I am not scheduled for that. 18 Q. You have been listed as an expert witness 19 in the area, and I'll quote from the District's 20 witness list, method of developing and results of EAA 21 water budget. 22 A. Yes. 23 Q. Could you explain to me what is meant by 24 the term EAA water budget? Let me rephrase that. 25 Will you testify about historical water 321 1 budget, or will it be a projected water budget, 2 taking into consideration the effects of the STAs? 3 A. I haven't been asked to determine whether 4 it is historical or future, but I can give my opinion 5 on historical and what it could be under different 6 circumstances. 7 Q. So are you saying that you may provide 8 testimony about projected water budgets, but you 9 don't know at this time? 10 MS. BIRCH: Object to the form. 11 THE WITNESS: I have done studies on 12 historical data, and I expect the testimony to 13 be on that, on my work, but as an opinion, I 14 just couldn't rule out expressing an opinion on 15 what could happen if certain things are 16 changing. 17 MR. PERKO: Okay, no further questions. 18 (Discussion held off the record.) 19 MS. BIRCH: I should put on the record 20 regarding our conversation yesterday about 21 Dr. Abtew's data, I did talk to Dr. Abtew about 22 that data and also talked with District staff to 23 make a determination of whether, one, it could 24 be retrieved; and two, if it had been produced. 25 I have been advised by my staff that they 322 1 believe all of his data has been produced. 2 If it has not, after making a thorough 3 check this afternoon and probably Monday, if it 4 has not been produced, I'll produce that, but I 5 believe from what I have been told and has been 6 indicated to me that the District has already 7 produced that data. 8 MR. KOBELINSKI: When would the District 9 have produced that data? 10 MS. BIRCH: I don't want to speculate on a 11 date. I have been told that it was produced a 12 certain date earlier in '92, but I don't want to 13 make that statement until I can confirm that 14 that's true. It would have happened in 1992. 15 MR. KOBELINSKI: And it would have been in 16 response to a request for production in the SWIM 17 proceedings? 18 MS. BIRCH: Yes, or it might have, in fact, 19 it could have been a public records request. 20 I know that we have been asked by the 21 League and I was told that data was, if this is 22 the correct data we are thinking of and it's 23 indicated that it was the EAA water budget that 24 was developed by Dr. Abtew, that it was also 25 produced to the Co-Op, but I'll check. And if 323 1 it has not been produced, we'll provide that to 2 you. 3 MR. PERKO: We need to check to make sure 4 that it was produced both to the Co-Op and the 5 League, because we don't necessarily get all the 6 information that the League gets in the public 7 records request. That's been an ongoing problem 8 that we have had. 9 MS. BIRCH: As I indicated, I said I would 10 provide it to both parties, and if it hasn't 11 already been produced, when we provide it, I'll 12 call you both, Mr. Perko and Mr. Kobelinski, and 13 advise you of the cost involved in producing 14 that. 15 MR. KOBELINSKI: Just out of curiosity, why 16 would you be advising me as to the cost of 17 producing that? 18 MS. BIRCH: Because there might be a cost 19 for the disk. It may involve a number of hours. 20 Like if it hasn't been produced, then I'm told 21 it could be days to obtain the document. 22 MR. KOBELINSKI: So counsel is aware, we 23 are producing numerous disks for our response 24 and have in the past and will be in the future; 25 and thus far, no one has attempted to pass on 324 1 expense to the other part, but you can raise 2 that if you would like to. It could be 3 addressed to the hearing officer. 4 MS. BIRCH: The cost involved if it were 5 made pursuant to the public records request, you 6 guys have been paid for that. So depending on 7 how it has been produced and if we need to 8 update that, I'm just covering all bases so you 9 make sure there will be no surprises. 10 MR. KOBELINSKI: I understand. I believe 11 the record clearly reflects what difficulty we 12 have had with regard to not having the data at 13 the deposition. 14 At this point in time, not having the data, 15 I cannot make an estimate as to whether or not 16 that will result in the need for a continuation 17 or for an additional deposition, but again, I 18 guess that can be addressed once the 19 determination is made as to what exact data the 20 witness has relied upon for his reports. 21 MR. PERKO: In addition, I would add to 22 that that there may be a need to redepose 23 Dr. Abtew if indeed he formulates opinions or 24 intends to provide opinions at the final hearing 25 regarding the effects of the STAs or BMPs on the 325 1 EAA water budget. 2 MS. BIRCH: Well, the District would, when 3 the time occurs and if that will occur, the 4 District will strenuously oppose any 5 redeposition or continuing deposition of 6 Dr. Abtew. 7 MR. KOBELINSKI: Thank you. 8 (Witness excused.) 9 (Thereupon, at 2:20 p.m., 10 the deposition was concluded.) 326 1 C E R T I F I C A T E 2 The State of Florida ) 3 County of Palm Beach. ) 4 I, Rachel W. Bridge, Registered 5 Professional Reporter and Notary Public, State of Florida at large, do hereby certify that Wossenu 6 Abtew, Ph.D. was by me first duly sworn to testify the whole truth; that I was authorized to and did 7 report said deposition in stenotype; and that the foregoing pages, numbered from 176 to 325, inclusive, 8 are a true and correct transcription of my shorthand notes of said deposition. 9 I further certify that the said deposition 10 was taken at the time and place hereinabove set forth and that the taking of said deposition was commenced 11 and completed as hereinabove set out. 12 I further certify that I am not attorney or counsel of any of the parties, nor am I a relative or 13 employee of any attorney or counsel or party connected with the action, nor am I financially 14 interested in the action. 15 The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the 16 same by any means unless under the direct control and/or direction of the certifying reporter. 17 In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 18 hand and seal this ____ day of_____________ 1993. 19 20 _______________________________ 21 Rachel W. Bridge RPR, CP, CM Notary Public, State of Florida 22 at large. My commission expires January 15, 1995. 327 1 C E R T I F I C A T E 2 - - - 3 4 The State of Florida, ) 5 County of Palm Beach. ) 6 7 8 I hereby certify that I have read the 9 foregoing deposition by me given, and that the 10 statements contained therein are true and correct to 11 the best of my knowledge and belief. 12 13 Dated this ____ day of______________ 1993. 14 15 16 17 18 _________________________ 19 WOSSENU ABTEW, Ph.D. 20 ?