Lake Okeechobee
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Lake Okeechobee, locally referred to as Lake O, The Big Lake, or simply The Lake is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Florida. It is the third-largest lake completely within the United States.1 Okeechobee covers 730 square miles (1,890 km²) and is relatively shallow, with an average depth of only 3 m (9 ft). The lake covers land in Florida counties of Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Hendry.
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The floor of the lake is a limestone basin and the lake varies in depth from 1 to 12 feet (0.3 to 4 meters), its water being pure and clear. The surface is above tide level, and the lake is enclosed by a 20 foot dike built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after a hurricane blew water over the old dike claiming 2,400 lives in 1928. There are several small outlets, such as the Miami River, the New River on the east, and the Shark River on the southwest.
The Joe Overstreet Road access to the lake is an internationally known area for birds, with Sandhill Crane, introduced Whooping Crane, Bald Eagle, Black Vulture and shorebirds.
Two Hurricanes Change Everything
In 1926, one of two hurricanes hit the area around Lake Okeechobee killing 800 people. In 1928, the second hurricane hit the Lake driving waters over the 6 ft. mud dike they had at the time killing 2,400. After the two hurricanes, the Florida State Legislature formed the "Okeechobee Flood Control District" The organization was authorized to cooperate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in actions to prevent this sort of disaster ever again.
U.S. President Herbert Hoover visited the area personally and afterword, the Corps designed a new plan in which construction of channels, gates, and levees.
The Okeechobee Waterway was officially opened on 23 March, 1937 when a series of boats left Fort_Myers, Florida on 22 March, 1937 and on the next day arrived at Stuart, Florida.
The more recent two hurricanes, Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Jeanne had no effect on Lake Okeechobee.
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National Scenic Trail
The 20 ft. wide dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee was declared a National Scenic Trail, specifically the Florida Trail, when it was built. There is a well-maintained paved pathway along the entire perimeter used by hikers and bicyclists and wide enough to accomodate authorized vehicles.
External link
Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=26.917877,-80.819550&spn=0.884766,1.662989&hl=en)
1 – After Lake Michigan; Lake Okeechobee is roughly one-tenth the size of Lake Ontario, smallest of the Great Lakes, but roughly half of Lake Ontario is within Canada. Lake Iliamna of Alaska is the second largest lake entirely in the U.S.de:Okeechobeesee pl:Jezioro Okeechobee