SHPE - Spring08 - (Page 24)

Engineering the Restoration of the Everglades Lena Rivera M uch of the water in the Florida Everglades has been drained for water supply, agriculture, urbanization and to prevent flooding. However, great efforts are being made to preserve one of the largest natural wetland areas on earth and home to numerous endangered species. A significant area of interest over the past decade is the extent to which the Orlando metropolitan area affects the northern Everglades ecosystem, including the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee. “Most people aren’t aware that the headwaters of the Everglades originate in Orlando,” said Lena Rivera, a water resources engineer with CDM. As a task manager for the Lake Okeechobee Fast Track (LOFT) project commissioned by the South Florida Water Management District, she is collaborating with a team to identify the most effective strategies for cleaning up the urban and agricultural inflows that discharge into the lake. “Lake Okeechobee has many excess nutrients, specifically phosphorus, which impact the overall ecosystem,” she said. “Many communities, birds, plants and trees rely on Lake Okeechobee for nesting and foraging.” Over the past two years, Rivera has performed systems modeling to understand the lake’s sources of water, determine the reasons for pollution and recommend optimal treatment processes. “Construction and design of large projects can become very expensive, which is why modeling is so useful,” Rivera explained. “Systems and design modeling allows us to look at the client’s needs and the ways in which they are planning to invest millions of dollars. We can determine if their plan is the best way to solve the problem, before starting the design process. It helps to guide decision making, narrow down options and evaluate how big project components need to be.” Seven different computer models have been applied to the LOFT project by the CDM team. When the district was considering building a 3,200-acre reservoir, modeling revealed that a reservoir half that size would provide about equal phosphorus removal and storage necessary for the project. “In this case, modeling served as a sizing tool used in water resources strategizing,” Rivera said. Even as she continues modeling additional scenarios at the district’s request, the project has resulted in significant cost benefits, saving the district more than $150 million in construction fees to date. Rivera is also serving as project manager for the Kissimmee River Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) model development project, which is focused on modeling the distribution of water quality impacts in the Kissimmee region, the northern-most watershed that drains into Lake Okeechobee. It’s the biggest project she has ever managed, requiring her to lead more than 30 team members. “I’m attracted to the opportunity to work with a variety of engineers and scientists from different disciplines toward the common good, and thinking outside the box to treat water,” Rivera said. “I like contributing to projects that are going to improve the quality of water and expand limited resources to meet water supply deficits that we are facing in Florida and nation-wide.” A licensed professional engineer, Rivera holds a B.S. in environmental engineering and an M.S. in civil engineering from the University of Central Florida and Duke University, respectively. She foresees developing her engineering consulting career at CDM by continuing on a project management track while also maintaining technical expertise, keeping both skill sets sharp. Consejos Lena Rivera’s greatest inspiration comes from her parents, who overcame 13 years of adversity in their quest to leave Cuba and provide a better future for their two daughters. Motivated by the motto, “Creer es poder, y él que no sueña no llega,” she passes along a similar message to Latinas. “You have to work hard and prove that you have good ideas that deserve to be heard,” Rivera advises. “Be smart and assertive in driving your career growth. Identify something for which you have an innate ability and a lot of personal strength. Involve others in mentoring you and let them know where you want your career to go. Market yourself as a total package by dressing and acting professionally – as someone that people can trust - and seek opportunities to challenge yourself and continue to grow.” On a final note, she added, “Failure is never an option, so olvídate de eso.” 24

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of SHPE - Spring08

SHPE - Spring08 Contents President’s Letter Browser Letters to the Editor Calendar of Events The Magic of Thinking BIG Five Steps to Easier Fundraising Designing Women ¡Viva Verde! The Education and Training of Ramon Flores Breakthroughs in Mobile Military Communications The Retention Doctor Success at School Begins at Home STAR Nominations Do Good Things Come to Those Who Wait? Programs & Services Regional Roundup Advertisers Index

SHPE - Spring08

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