TRANSACTIONS OF WAGNER 

 54 



VEGETATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA 



Kissirrunee River drains Lake Kissimmee, Lake Istokpoga and several other 

 large lakes in the lake district of central Florida, so that perhaps over one-third 

 of the state is finally drained into Lake Okeechobee and through the Three 

 Mile Canal into the Caloosahatchee River, the main outlet of the lake waters 

 to the sea. Up to date, the water level of the lake is lowered through the 

 North New River Canal into New River, and the South New River and Miami 

 Canal into Miami River. The Hillsboro Canal lacks only 3 kms. (2.1 miles) 

 of being cut through to tidewater. The excavation of the South New River 

 Canal, connecting the Miami Canal with New River, is completed. Con- 

 siderable water must find its way underground into the Everglades. 



The vast area of country known as the Everglades is a depression filled 

 with saw-grass interspersed with channels and lagoons. The eastern limit 

 of this region is the elevated ridge of the Palm Beach and Miami limestone, 

 while its western boundary is the vast prairies, pinelands and cypress swamps. 

 The southern extremity extends to the Gulf, but here are found the Everglade 

 keys of more elevated limestone rock. The drainage of the Everglades is by 

 the short rivers previously mentioned that empty into the Atlantic Ocean. 

 Part of the surplus water of the 'Glades finds its way into the Gulf of Mexico 

 through the Caloosahatchee River, which is a meandering stream deep enough 

 to float fair-sized steamers that ply its swift, but placid waters. The south- 

 western portion of the Everglades drains into the Gulf of Mexico by several 

 short rivers, such as the Harney, Rodgers, Lostmans, Shark and Chatham 

 rivers, but the drainage in this direction must be much more sluggish than 

 through the eastern streams that empty into the Atlantic Ocean. The country 

 northwest of Lake Okeechobee and north of the Caloosahatchee River is 

 characterized by a large number of small lakes, by pineland, by prairie, by 

 salt marshes and by several large rivers such as the Miakka, Peace Creek and 

 its tributaries. South of the Caloosahatchee River, there are pineland, 

 hammocks, cypress swamps, lakes, sloughs and prairie glades. 



The western coast of southern peninsular Florida down to Cape Romano 

 is a series of islands, or barrier beaches. Beginning at Sarasota Bay, we 

 first encounter Long Key, Casey Key, Little Gasparilla Island, Gasparilla 

 Key, Lacosta Island, Captiva Island, Sanibel Island, Estero Island, and 

 several other unnamed islands represented on the most detailed maps of the 

 region. The lagoons which are found between these keys and the mainland 

 are Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, Lemon Bay, Gasparilla Sound, 



