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  • The River of Grass - geocuse.syr.eduTampa Orlando Ft. Lauderdale Miami K i s s i m e e Gulf of Mexico Chain of Lakes Lake Okeechobee C a l o o s a h a t c h e e Big Cypress NP Everglades
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Tampa Orlando Ft. Lauderdale Miami K i s s i m e e Gulf of Mexico Chain of Lakes Lake Okeechobee C a lo o s a h a t c h e e Big Cypress NP Everglades NP T h e E v e r g l a d es Water conservation Area Everglades Agricultural Area National Park National Preserve Natioanal Wildlife Refuge Urbanized Area Swamp/Marsh 30 miles Lake Okeechobee Surface Water Flow Swamp/Marsh Surface Water Flow Pre-1900 T amiami Trail Alligator Alley 41 75 Ft. Lauderdale Miami Lake Okeechobee Surface Water Flow Swamp/Marsh Canal Surface Water Flow 2010 The above graph shows the elevation of surface water as it flows over the Southwestern portion of Florida. It starts as water is discharged from Lake Okeechobee and enters the third Water Conservation Area. As the water travels southward, its flow is obstructed by roadways like Alligator Alley, the L-67s, and Tamiami Trail. The elevation of the surface water is thus lowered. Elevation (ft) Distance Down Flowpath (km) Top of WCA 3A Alligator Alley (I-75) L-67s Tamiami Trail (L-29) Water Flowpath August 2005 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Atlantic Ocean Gulf of Mexico Lake Okeechobee 30 miles Sawgrass Marsh Sloughs Wet Prairies Cypress Swamp Swamp Forest K i s s i m e e Chain of Lakes C a lo o s a h a t c h e e Everglades Ecosystem Pre-1900 Historically, Lake Okeechobee would fill with rainwater from Kissimee and periodically overflow its southern shoreline, where water would begin a slow journey through a 60-mile-wide shallow river. It then flowed over the flat grasslands of the Everglades, eventually emptying into Florida Bay. 30 miles 30 miles As the population of the coastal regions in South Florida grew, many canals and higways were built that cut through the heart of the Everglades. These have severely disrupted the overland sheet flow of the habitats of the Everglades. The River of Grass: How the Everglades are Being Drained The Everglades comprise a unique ecosystem unlike any other on the planet. They once covered 9 million acres that spanned from the base of Lake Okeechobee to the mouth of the Florida bay. The Everglades were designed to flood and store water to support a large amount of biodiversity. However, in the past century, they have been drastically changed by intense draining. The vast canal system is draining water too quickly, causing about 1.7 billion gallons of water to be removed everyday. As a result, the rich Everglades of yesterday have been altered beyond repair. Kelly Montague, Dec 2011

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Page 1: The River of Grass - geocuse.syr.eduTampa Orlando Ft. Lauderdale Miami K i s s i m e e Gulf of Mexico Chain of Lakes Lake Okeechobee C a l o o s a h a t c h e e Big Cypress NP Everglades

Tampa

Orlando

Ft.Lauderdale

Miami

Kissimee

Gulf ofMexico

Chain ofLakes

LakeOkeechobee

Caloosahatchee

Big Cypress NP

EvergladesNP

The

Ever

glad

es

Water conservation Area

Everglades AgriculturalArea

National Park

National Preserve

Natioanal WildlifeRefuge

Urbanized Area

Swamp/Marsh

30 miles

LakeOkeechobee

Surface WaterFlow

Swamp/Marsh

SurfaceWater

FlowPre-1900

Tamiami Trail

Alligator Alley

41

75Ft.Lauderdale

Miami

LakeOkeechobee

Surface WaterFlow

Swamp/Marsh

Canal

SurfaceWater

Flow2010

The above graph shows the elevation of surface water as it �ows over the Southwestern portion of Florida. It starts as water is discharged from Lake Okeechobee and enters the thirdWater Conservation Area. As the water travels southward, its �ow is obstructed by roadways likeAlligator Alley, the L-67s, and Tamiami Trail. The elevation of the surface water is thus lowered.

Elev

atio

n (ft

)

Distance Down Flowpath (km)

Top ofWCA 3A

AlligatorAlley (I-75) L-67s

TamiamiTrail (L-29)

Water Flowpath August 2005

13

12

11

10

9

8

7

6

50 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

AtlanticOcean

Gulf ofMexico

LakeOkeechobee

30 miles

Sawgrass Marsh

Sloughs

Wet Prairies

Cypress Swamp

Swamp Forest

Kissimee

Chain ofLakes

Caloosahatchee

EvergladesEcosystemPre-1900

Historically, Lake Okeechobee would fill

with rainwater from Kissimee and

periodically overflow its southern shoreline,

where water wouldbegin a slow journey

through a 60-mile-wideshallow river. It then

flowed over the flatgrasslands of the

Everglades, eventually emptying into Florida Bay.

30 miles

30 miles

As the population ofthe coastal regions

in South Floridagrew, many canals

and higways were builtthat cut through the

heart of the Everglades.These have severely

disrupted the overlandsheet flow of the

habitats of theEverglades.

The River of Grass:How the Everglades are Being Drained

The Everglades comprise a unique ecosystem unlike any other on the planet. They once covered 9 million acres that spanned from the base of Lake Okeechobee to the mouth of the Florida bay. The Everglades were designed to flood and store water to support a large amount of biodiversity. However, in the past century, they have been drastically changed by intense draining. The vast canal system is draining water too quickly, causing about 1.7 billion gallons of water to be removed everyday. As a result, the rich Everglades of yesterday have been altered beyond repair.

Kelly Montague, Dec 2011

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