- Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a
river on the southwestGulf Coast ofFlorida in theUnited States , approximately 75 mi (121 km long). It drains rural area on the northern edge of theEverglades northwest of Miami. An important link in the inlandwaterway system of southern Florida, the river forms atidal estuary along most of its course and has recently become the subject of efforts to restore and preserve the Everglades.Description
The river issues from
Lake Hicpochee , in southeastern Glades County, approximately 10 mi (16 km) WNW of Clewiston. It flows WSW past La Belle, where it becomes tidal, forming anestuary along its lower 25 mi (40 km). It broadens as it nears the gulf, passing Fort Myers and Cape Coral. It enters theGulf of Mexico 10 mi (16 km) southwest of Fort Myers in San Carlos Bay protected bySanibel Island .The 5 mi (8 km)
Caloosahatchee Canal connecting Lake Hicpochee toLake Okeechobee allows continuousnavigation from the Caloosahatchee to theOkeechobee Waterway system. Since the late 19th century,dredging andchannelization of the river, as well as the artificial connection to Lake Okeechobee and its use as awater supply for urban and agricultural uses, have substantially altered thehydrology of the river. As a result, both the magnitude and timing of water delivery to the estuary has been substantially altered. Recent programs by the state government have attempted to establish minimum flow levels in the river, in part to help restore the water supply to the Everglades. A federalwildlife refuge formanatee s has been established at the mouth of the river on San Carlos Bay near Fort Myers.External links
* [http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/wsd/mfl/calmfl/ South Florida Water Management District: Caloosahatchee River and Estuary]
* [http://www.gulfbase.org/bay/view.php?bid=caloosahatchee GulfBase.org: Caloosahatchee River]
* [http://northflorida.fws.gov/Manatee/Maps/lee-overview.htm USFWS: Caloosahatchee River-San Carlos Bay Federal Manatee Refuge]
* [http://crca.caloosahatchee.org Caloosahatchee River Citizens Association (Riverwatch)]
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