The Upper Chain of Lakes and the Kissimmee River are the northernmost components of the Greater Everglades ecosystem. The 56-mile channelized Kissimmee River (C-38) connects Lake Kissimmee and Lake Okeechobee.
Lake Okeechobee spans 730-square miles, and is the second largest freshwater lake located wholly within the United States.
The Caloosahatchee River stretches 67 miles, from Lake Okeechobee west to the Gulf of Mexico, at Fort Myers.
The St. Lucie Canal is Lake Okeechobee's eastern outlet, extending 25.5 miles from Port Mayaca to the south fork of the St. Lucie River.
Three Water Conservation Areas (WCA), located in the western portions of Palm Beach, Broward and Dade counties encompass 1,337 square miles. The northernmost WCA is also known as the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. The WCAs, along with Everglades National Park, preserves about 50% of the original Everglades.
Florida Bay and the Florida Keys are the southernmost components of the Greater Everglades system.
Inland from the rapidly growing southwest coast and city of Naples, much of the land in the Big Cypress Basin is undeveloped. Included in this natural land area is the Corkscrew Swamp and Sanctuary, the Big Cypress National Preserve, the Fakahatchee Strand, the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) and the 10,000 Islands.
Agency Overview
Overview Maps
Northern Everglades
