of all the major game borders in the associated americans , none is closer to a major urban areas or more beset with issues than the everglades , a low , 50 - mile - wide river of grass that flows south from lake okeechobee to florida bay . for more than a century , this fragile environmental monument has been held back by a myriad of different interests - - farmers , sportsmen and about 6 million south florida residents in need of rain water and flood control - - that is as complex as the ecosystem itself .
The Everglades is 50-mile wide.