SOME FLORIDA LAKES AND LAKE BASINS. 1 33 



tahoochee formation. The drain from the lake as it approaches the 

 sink passes through a narrow gorge cut in this Hmestone. 



About one-half mile farther south (Sec. 14) another sink is 

 found. This third sink receives the flow from Mill Creek, a small 

 stream draining considerable territory lying south of the Seaboard 

 Air Line Railway and east of Lloyds. 



During a season of excessive rains these sinks are unable to 

 carry away the water. Under these conditions the overflow from 

 Lake Miccosukee as well as from Mill Creek ultimately finds its 

 escape by flowing to the southwest past Lloyds to the St. Marks 

 River. 



The surface in Miccosukee Basin is covered with muck to a 

 varying depth. Borings put down near the north end of the basin, 

 out from the margin of the drain, indicated the presence of muck 

 for a depth of from six inches to one foot. Beneath the muck in 

 this part of the basin was found a gray sand. This sand is un- 

 derlaid, at a variable depth, by the usual red sandy clay. At the 

 south end of the lake the sand is largely absent, the muck which is 

 from one to three or more feet deep resting, so far as observed, di- 

 rectly upon the red clay. 



Lake Miccosukee probably represents a basin developed by solu- 

 tion near the headwaters of streams originally tributary to the St. 

 Marks River. Previous to the formation of Miccosukee Basin the 

 drainage of this part of the country doubtless passed through 

 small streams, to the south past the present village of Lloyds, thence 

 to the Gulf through the St. Marks River. The lake basin since its 

 formation has enlarged to the northwest, the lowest part of the 

 basin now being found near the sink in the northwest corner. 



Mill Creek which now enters from the south and disappears 

 through a sink a few miles north of Lloyds illustrates the reversal 

 of flow of a stream due to the formation of a sink. This stream, 

 previous to the formation of the sink, flowed southwest to the St. 

 Marks River. At the present time it flows north and enters the 

 sink. At times of excessive rainfall the sink is unable to carry 

 ofi the water and the stream under these conditions flows in its 

 earlier course to the St. Marks River. 



ALLIGATOR LAKE. 



Alligator Lake lies in the central part of Columbia County, 

 from one and a half to two miles southeast of Lake City. The lake 

 basin has a total area of about 1,000 acres. Numerous smaller 

 lakes occur to the west and north of this large lake. The sur- 



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