Lake Okeechobee

Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Okeechobee
image_lake = Okeechobee lake.jpg
caption_lake = from space, September 1988
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry =
location = Florida
coords = coord|26|56|N|80|48|W|type:waterbody_region:US-FL|display=inline,title
type =
inflow = Taylor Creek, Kissimmee River
outflow =
catchment =
basin_countries = United States
length =
width =
area = convert|730|sqmi|abbr=on
depth = convert|9|ft|abbr=on
max-depth = convert|12|ft|abbr=on
volume =
residence_time =
shore =
elevation = convert|12.27|ft|m|abbr=on to convert|18.02|ft|m|abbr=on
islands =
cities =
frozen =

Lake Okeechobee, (IPA: IPA|/okɪtʃobi/) locally referred to as The Lake or The Big O is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the second-largest freshwater lake wholly within the continental United States, second only to Lake Michigan and the largest in the southern United States. [Muller, Peter O. "Lake Okeechobee." World Book Online Reference Center. 2008. 12 Jan. 2008 ] Okeechobee covers 730 square miles (1,890 km²), slightly smaller than the state of Rhode Island and is relatively shallow, with an average depth of only 9 feet (3 m). The lake covers land in Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Hendry counties. Maps of Florida show that all five of these counties meet at a point near the center of the lake.

History

Okeechobee is thought to have been formed out of the ocean about 6,000 years ago when the waters receded. [ [http://www.dep.state.fl.us/evergladesforever/about/lakeo_history.htm Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Everglades Forever-Brief History of Lake Okeechobee] ] At its capacity, the lake holds 1 trillion gallons of water and is the headwaters of the Everglades. [ [https://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page?_pageid=2294,4946970,2294_4947235:2294_4947052&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL South Florida Water Management District: Okeechobee Watershed Overview] ]

The name Okeechobee comes from the Hitchiti words "oki" (water) and "chubi" (big), and literally means "big water". It was also previously called "Macaco" and "Mayaimi", the latter being the origin of the name of the city Miami, Florida by way of the Miami River. [cite book|last=Simpson|first=J. Clarence|editor=Mark F. Boyd|title=Florida Place-Names of Indian Derivation|publisher=Florida Geological Survey|year=1956|location=Tallahassee, Florida]

The floor of the lake is a limestone basin, and the lake varies in depth from 1 to 13 feet (0.3 to 4 m), its water being somewhat murky from nutrient-enriched runoff from surrounding farmlands. The surface is above sea level, and the lake is enclosed by a 20-foot (6 m) high dike built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after a hurricane in 1928 breached the old dike, flooding surrounding communities and claiming thousands of lives. There are several inflows, including Taylor Creek and the Kissimmee River, and several small outlets, such as the Miami River, the New River on the east, and the Caloosahatchee River (via the Caloosahatchee Canal and Lake Hicpochee) on the southwest.

* [http://www.okeechobee.com/forum Okeechobee Official Discussion Forum]

Hurricanes

In 1926, the Great Miami Hurricane hit the Lake Okeechobee area, killing approximately 300 people. Two years later in 1928, the Okeechobee Hurricane crossed over the lake, killing thousands. The Red Cross reported a figure of 1,836 deaths which the National Weather Service initially accepted, but in 2003, the number was revised to "at least 2,500". [ [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pastdeadly.shtml National Hurricane Center: The Deadliest Atlantic Tropical Cyclones, 1492-1996] ] In both cases the catastrophe was caused by flooding from a storm surge when strong winds drove water over the 6-foot (2 m) mud dike that circled the lake at the time.

After the two hurricanes, the Florida State Legislature created the "Okeechobee Flood Control District". The organization was authorized to cooperate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in actions to prevent similar disasters. U.S. President Herbert Hoover visited the area personally, and afterward the Corps designed a new plan incorporating the construction of channels, gates and levees. The Okeechobee Waterway was officially opened on March 23 1937 by a procession of boats which left Fort Myers, Florida on March 22 and arrived at Stuart, Florida the following day.

The 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane sent an even larger storm surge to the crest of the new dike, causing it to be expanded again in the 1960s and renamed the "Herbert Hoover Dike".

Three recent hurricanes, Hurricane Frances, Hurricane Jeanne and Hurricane Wilma, had no major adverse effects on communities surrounding Lake Okeechobee, even though the lake rose 18 inches after Hurricane Wilma in 2005. Tropical Storm Ernesto increased water levels by a foot in 2006, the last time it exceeded 13 feet. [http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/08/21/0821lakeo.html Palm Beach Post: August 21, 2008-Lake Okeechobee surpasses 12 feet for first time since January '07 by Eliot Kleinberg] ] However, the lake's level began dropping soon after and by July 2007, it had dropped more than 4 feet to its all-time low of 8.82 feet.In August 2008, Tropical Storm Fay increased water levels to 12.22 feet above sea level, the first time it has surpassed 12 feet since January 2007. During a seven-day period which included some pre-Fay storms, about 8 inches fell directly on the lake.

Control

Lake Okeechobee is physically controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who set the target level between 12½ and 15½ feet to balance the conflicting threats of drought or a breach in the Herbert Hoover Dike. The Corps works closely with the South Florida Water Management District, but the district views lake levels below 13 feet as a "water shortage management zone".

National Scenic Trail

The 100 foot (30 m) wide dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee is a part of the Florida Trail, a 1,400 mile long trail that is a National Scenic Trail. There is a well-maintained paved pathway along the entire perimeter used by hikers and bicyclists and wide enough to accommodate authorized vehicles.

Fishing

The most common fish in this lake are largemouth bass, crappie and bluegill. Pickerel have been less commonly caught.

Wildlife

In addition to the fish population, the American Alligator is very common in the lake. The lake provides habitat for a wide variety of wading birds, such as the Great Blue Heron and the Snowy Egret; birds of prey, including the Bald Eagle and the Osprey; migratory waterfowl, especially ducks and geese; additionally, the Turkey Vulture and the federally endangered Everglades Snail Kite.

Rim Canal

During construction of the dike, earth was excavated along the inside perimeter, resulting in a deep channel which runs along the perimeter of the lake. In most places the canal is part of the lake, but in others it is separated from the open lake by low grassy islands. During the drought of 2007-2008 this canal remained navigable while much of surrounding areas were too shallow or even above the water line. Even when the waters are higher, navigating the open lake can be tricky, whereas the rim canal is simple, so to reach a specific location in the lake it is often easiest to go around the rim canal to get close then take one of the many channels into the lake. [ [http://www.longcast.com/content/view/17/29/ Florida Largemouth Bass Fishing - Lake Okeechobee] ]

Environmental concerns

In 2007, during a drought, state water and wildlife managers removed thousands of truckloads of toxic mud from the lake's floor, in an effort to return to the lake's natural sandy base and create clearer water and better habitat for wildlife. The mud contained elevated levels of arsenic and other pesticides. According to tests from the South Florida Water Management District, arsenic levels on the northern part of the lake bed were as much as four times the limit for residential land. Independent tests found the mud to be too polluted for use on agricultural or commercial lands, and therefore difficult to even dispose of on land. [http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/6892 Polluted Muck Taken from Florida's Lake Okeechobee Prompts Fears on Land] ]

Through early 2008, the lake remained well below normal levels with large portions of the lake bed exposed above the water line. During this time large portions of the lake bed, which was covered in organic matter, dried out and caught fire. [Lake Okeechobee Brush Fire, WINK News ]

In late August 2008, Tropical Storm Fay bombarded Florida with record amounts of rain. Lake Okeechobee received almost a 4-foot increase in water level, including local run-off from the tributaries. This quick rise, mixed with largely polluted run-off from local farmlands, has killed thousands of fish.

The lake in popular culture

Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades feature as a backdrop for the 1951 Gary Cooper film, "Distant Drums".

Lake Okeechobee is the setting of a climactic scene in Carl Hiaasen's 2002 novel "Basket Case" (Ch. 28).

Lake Okeechobee is the setting of a significant part of Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God", and the movie of the same name. Janie and Tea Cake go there to work "on the muck".

The lake also features in the refrain of the Lisa Brokop song "Wildflower" ((Hey, Do You Know Me, 2005) "...sittin' on the bank of the Okeechobee, watchin' that river run"

* [http://www.okeechobee.com/forum Okeechobee Official Discussion Forum]

References

External links

* [http://www.dep.state.fl.us/evergladesforever/about/lakeo_history.htm Florida Department of Environmental Protection: Everglades Forever-Brief History of Lake Okeechobee]
* [https://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page?_pageid=2294,4946970,2294_4947235:2294_4947052&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL South Florida Water Management District: Okeechobee Watershed Overview]
* [http://www.okeechobee.com/forum Okeechobee Official Discussion Forum]