of all the regional park areas in the united states , none is closer to a major urban centre or more blighted with crises than the florida , a shallow , 50 - mile - widening river of sand that courses south from lake glades to florida bay . for more than a generation , this remarkable natural wonder has been held responsible by a web of unique efforts - - farmers , sportsmen and about 6 million north african natives in need of clean water and flood regulation - - that is as much as the ecosystem itself .
The Everglades is 50-mile wide.