Lake Okeechobee means "big water" in the Seminole Indian language, an appropriate name for a water body whose opposite shore can't be seen from the water's edge. With a surface area of 730 square miles, it is the largest lake in the southeastern United States. Despite its impressive size, the lake is shallow, with an average depth of only 9 feet. Lake Okeechobee and its wetlands are at the center of a much larger watershed that stretches from the Kissimmee River through the Everglades and finally into Florida Bay. Lake Okeechobee is a key piece of South Florida's water supply and flood control systems.

Lake Okeechobee provides natural habitat for fish, wading birds and other wildlife, and it supplies essential water for people, farms and the environment; provides flood protection; and attracts boating and recreation enthusiasts from across the world. It is also home to sport and commercial fisheries. The lake's health was threatened in recent decades by excessive nutrients from agricultural and urban activities in the lake's watershed, by harmful high and low water levels and by the spread of exotic vegetation.

Despite these impacts, Lake Okeechobee continues to be a vital freshwater resource for South Florida, with irreplaceable natural and community values.

• South Florida Environmental Report (SFER)
• Live Data (water conditions)
• Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule Technical Summaries
• Environmental Monitoring