SOME FLORIDA LAKES AND LAKE BASINS. 
67 
plateau. In the course of time the streams cut down to or nearly 
to the underlying Vicksburg Limestone. The result of the close 
approach to this limestone was the formation 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 180 feet. 
The basin itself occupying an area of a few hundred acres is re¬ 
duced to an elevation of about ioo feet above sea. Hogtown Prai¬ 
rie near Gainesville (Text figure 5) 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 Paynes 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. 
The 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 
hills 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. Near the east end open water occurs over an area of about 
100 acres. The water sinks into the Chattahoochee Limestone at 
the south-east end of the lake. 
The history of the development of this lake is very clear. 
Originally the drainage from this part of the county passed by 
