The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-01-19
TWENTY-FIVE FACTS ABOUT THE
EVERGLADES WORTH
REMEMBERING
(By J. o. Wright, Chief Drainage En-.
gineer.)

N~OS
south of Lake Okeechobee. 1t has a
slope of three inches per mile toward
the south, and is six feet above sea
level at Miami.
2. There are no trees in the Ever
glades. Clumps of small bushes are
found along the eastern border, and a
fringe of custard apple on the south
shore of Lake Okeechobee.
3. The soil of the Everglades is
muck from two to fourteen feet deep
The average depth over the entire
area is about eight feet.
4. The muck in the Everglades is
underlaid with porous rotten lime
stone. This stone is not level on top,
but full of irregular holes, seams and
depressions.
5. There are no extensive beds of
peat in the Everglades.
s. Lake Okeechobee is almost cir
cular, about thirty miles in diameter,
and has an average depth of sixteen
feet. It's mean elevation is twenty
and one-half feet above sea level.
Z. Lake Okeechobee has low,
marshy banks on the south and dur
ing the rainy season overnows and
floods the Everglades.
8. The plan of drainage now under
construction provides for lowering the
level of the lake four feet, so it will
not overflow its banks.
8. Five canals, each fifty feet wide
and ten feet deep, are to be construct
ed from the lake to tide water. One
of these canals is completed; three
are half completed and the fifth will
be commenced in a short time.
10. When these canals are finished,
their combined channels will equal a
river two hundred and fifty feet wide
and ten feet deep.
II. There are nine powerful dredg-
es now at work on these canals exca-
waiting about eight miles of canal per
month
II. These canals will be provided
with locks and wing dams, with sluic-
es, where they leave the lake and at
intervals of about twelve miles
throughout their length, so as to con-
troll the flow of water in them Two
of these locks are now being built.
13. These canals will afford trans
portation for boats or barges twenty
two feet wide and eighty-fve feet
long, drawing three and one-half feet
Of water
IA. The water is now being held in
the canals to float the dredges. The
drainage will not become effective un-
til the canals are completed, and the
dams are removed This will be done
July 1, 1913.
Is. The North New River canal
will be open from Fort Lauderdale
to Lake Okeechobee about March Is,
1912.
16. When Lake Okeechobee is
lowered it will afford storage capac-
ity covering one-half million acres
three feet deep.
II. This water will be let through
the sluices into the canals during the
dry season as needed.
IS. BY this system of canals and
gates, the water can be held in the
canals at the elevation best suited to
the growth of crops.
10. The soil of the Everglades, like
all other soils, is composed of vegeta-
BILE and mineral matter. The vegeta-
BILE matter in any soil will burn if rob-
bed of all of it's moisture, and suffi-
cient heat is applied.
20. The plan adopted for reclaim
ing the Everglades does not propose
to remove all the moisture from this
much soil-just enough to make it
best suited for the crops that are be-
ing grown.
81. The muck soil in the Ever
glades will not burn if the plan of
reclamation adopted is carried out.
%. There is no doubt as to the fer
tility of the Everglades muck soil. A
visit to the south shore of Lake Okee-
chobee or to the truck farms on the
South New River canal, near Fort
Lauderdale, will demonstrate this
fact.
3d.. The health of the men employ
ed in the Everglades is goodg
"a. The Everglades are now being
surveyed by the state. The land is
being subdivided into townships, rang
es and sections and permanent mark
ers placed at the section corners.
25 The Everglades must be seen
and studied to be understood. There
is no other body of land like it in the
United States. Opinions of persons
4