II. TALLAHASSEE RED JilLLS. 2/1 



bridges, however, such as are characteristic of some regions of solu- 

 tion topography. 



No rivers traverse the region, but there are a few sluggish 

 creeks and branches, running into lakes or ponds, where the water 

 sinks into the ground or evaporates, or both. The low grounds 

 around Tallahassee are said to be lower than the nearest point on 

 the Ocklocknee River, seven or eight miles away; and all the drain- 

 age from Tallahassee, that does not evaporate or soak into the 

 ground first, goes through Munson's Pond or Lake, about five miles 

 south (Fig. 75), and then to a sink a few miles farther south. 



The most characteristic hydrographic feature of this region, 

 distinguishing it from most other red hill regions, is its large lakes, 

 three or four in number. These are several square miles in area, 

 irregularly shaped, all shallow and flat-bottomed, with sink-holes at 

 their edges or elsewhere, and are often nearly di"y for several years 

 at a time. (See Sellards i in bibliogaphy. ) They were at their 

 lowest stage about 1910, and at their highest (perhaps eight or ten 

 feet above low water) about 1912. In addition to the large lakes 

 there are several smaller ones, from a few hundred acres down to 

 mere ponds an acre or so in extent. All are essentially treeless, ex- 

 cept that there is a good deal of cypress in the eastern half of Lake 

 Lafayette. 



Except in the immediate vicinity of lakes and streams, the 

 ground-water lies at a considerable distance below the surface. 

 Consequently wells are less numerous than houses, and good ones 

 are scarce. Springs are almost wanting, too, so that one walking 

 any considerable distance through this region in warm dry weather 

 is likely to get rather thirsty. The city of Tallahassee gets an un- 

 failing supply of good water from artesian wells, in which the water 

 stands nearly 100 feet below the surface (or not very far from sea- 

 level). 



Vegetation Types — The drier uplands seem to have been cov- 

 ered originally with comparatively open forests of short-leaf pine 

 (Pinus echinata), red oak, hickory, dogwood, etc. Considerable 

 areas of this forest still remain, though a good deal of it may be 

 second growth. On sandier soils near the center of the region there 

 are limited areas (perhaps several hundred acres) of long-leaf pine 

 forest, differing from the typical piney woods of other regions in the 

 scarcity or absence of saw-palmetto and wire-grass among the under- 

 growth. Both the short-leaf and the long-leaf pine forests are sub- 

 ject to occasional fires. On some of the hillsides and richer uplands 



