SOME FLORIDA LAKES AND LAKE BASINS. I47 



plateau. In the course of time the streams cut down to or nearly 

 to the underlying Vicksburg Limestone. The result of the close- 

 approach 10 tins limestone was tne tormation of sinks due to solu- 

 tion in the limestone. After the formation of the sinks it became 

 possible for the water to pass through the sinks and find its escape 

 by subterranean drainage. This process of solution and subsidence 

 continued through long intervals of time has resulted in the forma- 

 tion of these numerous basins. Some of these basins have been 

 carried to a level equal to or below their original outlet through 

 Orange Creek. 



Basins may be seen at the present time in varying stages of de- 

 velopment. In the plateau itself no basins are found. Even here, 

 however, are found occasional sinks, the first evident effect of the 

 reduction by solution. An illustration of a partially developed 

 basin may be found in Sanchez Prairie near Hague. The country 

 surrounding this small basin stands at a level of about i8o feet. 

 The basin itself occupying an area of a few hundred acres is re- 

 duced to an elevation of about lOo feet above sea. Hogtown Prai- 

 rie near Gainesville (Text figure 38) represents a more advanced 

 basin. Hogtown Creek probably originally flowed through Ala- 

 chua Basin, thence to the St. Johns River through Orange Creek. 

 The formation of the sink, however, permitted a subterranean 

 escape and around this sink is formed Hogtown Prairie, now sepa- 

 rated from Payne's Prairie by elevations amounting to twenty or 

 thirty feet. 



OCHEESEE LAKE. 



Of the few lakes occurring in Jackson County, Ocheesee Lake 

 is perhaps the largest. This lake lies in the southeastern part of 

 the county extending from near Grand Ridge in a southeasterly di- 

 rection to within three or four miles of the Apalachicola River. 

 Ihe total length of the lake is six or seven miles. In breadth it 

 varies from a few rods to possibly three-fourths of a mile. At the 

 northwest end the surrounding country rises very gradually. The 

 southwest part of the lake, however, is surrounded by red sandy 

 liills which rise from 75 to 100 feet above the bottom of the lake. 

 The lake is perhaps best described in this instance as a swamp, the 

 greater part of the lake bottom being occupied by a growth of cy- 

 press, although near the east end open water occurs over an area 

 ox about 100 acres. The water from the lake sinks into the Chat- 

 tahoocliee Limestone at the southeast end of the basin. 



The history of the development of this lake is very clear. 

 Originally the drainage from this part of the county passed by 



