Lake Okeechobee Water Levels

Daily Weather for the Okeechobee Area

Lake Okeechobee
Photo credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The word Okeechobee is from Hitchiti for Big Water.

The Lake Okeechobee Ecosystem has been home

to many Native peoples over time, most recently,

the Miccosukees and the Seminoles.

Image courtesy: U.S. Geological Survey,Circular 1134

So, how big is this Big Water?

It is about 700 square miles and ranges from 8 to 12 feet deep,

when there is no serious drought as there has been

for the past two years, when it dropped to record

low levels and drastic measures had to be

taken to avoid a compete disaster.

Lake Okeechobee
Photo credit: US Army Corps of Engineers

Lake Okeechobee is one of only two US

inland lakes that are visible from space,

the other is the great Salt Lake in Utah.

Places to learn more:

Defenders of Wildlife

Endangered Ecosystems

Florida Department of State

Map of Okeechobee Area

Florida Native Plant Society

Ecosystems of Florida

National Wildlife Federation

Endangered Species - Snail Kite

Florida Everglades Ecosystems Virtual Tour

NPR
Vanishing Water

Preservation 2000

Conserving Florida's Natural Land and Water

USGS - SOFIA

Habitat and Species Recovery

Land Management

SOFIA: USGS Kids page for Florida's Ecosystems

South Florida Recovery

Virtual Tour of Everglades

U.S.G.S. Biological Resources

Endangered Ecosystems

Scientific Data about our Nation's Biological Resources

Walking with the Alligators

Write to Gator Woman

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