The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-01-07
TWENTY-FIVE
FACTS ABOUT
EVERGLADES
CHIEF ENGINEER GIVES SOME
INFORMATION ABOUT GREAT
PROJECT AND THE LAND.
Special to The Journal

J. o. Wright has given out the fol-
lowing data regarding the everglades:
/. The surface of the Everglades is
q feet above sea level. just south Of
Lake Okeechobee. It has slope Of 8
inches per mile toward the south and
is feet above sea level at Miami.
2. There are no trees in the Ever
gls.des. clUmps Of small bushes are
found along the eastern border, and
> fringe Of custard apple on the south
shore of Lake Okeechobee.
g. The soil Of the Everglades is
muck from to IA feet deep. The
average depth over the entire area
Is about feet.
E. The muck in the Everglades is
underIaid with porous rotten lime
stone. This stone is not level 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 30 miles in. diameter. and
has an average depth Of Is feet. Its
mean elevation is 20 IL feet above
sea level
Z. Lake Okeechobee has low marsfy
banks on the south and during the
rainy season overfiews and floods the
Everglades.
s. The plain Of drainage now under
construction provides for lowering the
level Of the lake feet so it will not
overflow its banks.
8. Five canals each so feet wide
and 10 feet deep are to be constructed
from the lake to tide water. One Of
these canals is completed: three are
half completed, and the fifth will be
commenced in short time.
10. When these canals are finished,
their combined channels will equal a
river $50 feet wide and 10 feet deep.
II. There are nine powerful dredges
now at work on these canals exca-
waiting about miles of canal per
month.
IL. These canals will be provided
with locks and wing dams with sluices
where they leave the lake and
at intervals of about II miles through
out their length. so as to control the
flow OF water in them. Two of these
locks are now being built
IS. These canals viii afford trans
portation for boats or barges % feet
wide and So. feet long drawing 8 1-2
feet Of water.
II. 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 viii be done
July 1st. 1913.
Is. The North New River Canal
viii be open from Ft. Lauderdale to
Lake Okeechobee is lowered it will
n cSc 90 o<lff IN o
one-haIf million acres feet deep.
IT. 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
ali other soils. is composed Of veg
etable and mineral matter. The veg
etable matter in any soil win burn
If robbed of all of it's moisture, and
sufficient heat is applied.
20. The plan adopted for reclaim
ing the Everglades does not propose
to remove all the moisture from this
muck soil-just enough to make it
best suited for the crops that are be-
ing grown.
81. The muck soil in the Everglades
will not burn If the plan of reclama-
tion adopted is carried out
%. There is no doubt as to the fer
fifty of the Everglade muck soil. A
visit TO the south shore of Lake Okee-
chobee or to the truck farms on the
South New River Canal, near Fit. Lau-
derdale, win demonstrate this fact.
80 nv. - ;
In the Everglades is good.
"a. The Everglades are now being
surveyed by the state The land is be-