of all the federal park lands in the united states , none is closer to a big urban center or more mired with problems than the everglades , a shallow , 50 - mile - wide river of weeds that stretches south from south okeechobee to florida cove . for more than a generation , this fragile natural wonder has been held hostage by a web of special interests - - farmers , sportsmen and about 6 million south florida resident in need of irrigation blood and flood control - - that is as complex as the ecosystem itself .
The Everglades is 50-mile wide.