The Important Bird Areas of Florida - National Audubon Society

The Important Bird Areas of Florida: 2000–2002 – Pranty – 2-Jul-02 234LAKE OKEECHOBEEGlades, Hendry, Martin, Okeechobee, and Palm Beach counties470,000 acres (188,000 ha), including >28,250 acres (>11,300 ha) of marshlandLOCATION: in south-central Florida, bordered by Glades County to the west, Okeechobee County to thenorth, Martin County to the northeast, Palm Beach County to the southeast and south, and HendryCounty to the southwest. Contiguous with the Kissimmee Lake and River IBA to the north and theFisheating Creek Watershed IBA to the west. Near part of the Loxahatchee River and Slough IBA tothe east.DESCRIPTION: at over 730 square miles (1880 square km), Lake Okeechobee is the second-largestfreshwater lake entirely within the Lower 48 states (second only to Lake Michigan). It is quiteshallow, with its deepest portions only 20 feet (6 m) deep. Much of the southern and western portionsare composed of extensive marshes. Hurricanes in the 1920s swept over the lake, causing it tooverflow its banks, which killed over 2000 people at Belle Glade, Okeechobee, and Moore Haven. Toprevent this human tragedy from recurring, an earthen dike 35 feet (10.5 m) tall and 140 miles (224km) long was built from the 1930s to the 1960s, completely encircling the lake. This dike separatedthe lake from the Everglades, into which it previously drained. Extensive marshes remain inside thedike, along the lake's western half and to a lesser degree in the south and southeast. There is even adevelopment – a campground a marina complex – built on uplands inside the dike. For severaldecades, water levels in Lake Okeechobee have been manipulated for human uses and the lake nowserves primarily as an artificial reservoir. Unnatural water levels, and unseasonable releases of waterinto the Everglades to protect agricultural lands, have had devastating effects on the lake, theEverglades, and their associated wildlife. The lake receives about 2,500,000 recreationists and 60,000waterfowl hunters annually.OWNERSHIP: State of Florida; 28,250 acres (11,300 ha) of marshes in the western portion of the Lake aredesignated as Audubon SanctuariesHABITATS: *lacustrine, *freshwater marsh, cattail marsh, and sawgrass marsh, willow heads, mudflatsLAKE USES: *conservation, *water supply (up to 700 million gallons per day; 2.6 billion liters/day),*recreation, *fishing, hunting, and commercial uses (frogs, alligators, turtles, lotus seeds)IBA CATEGORIES: significant populations of Endangered, Threatened, FCREPA, and IBA species;significant numbers of aquatic birds, wading birds, and shorebirds; significant natural habitats; andlong-term research.AVIAN DATA: Lake Okeechobee is (or was) one of the two most critical sites in Florida for Snail Kites inFlorida, and when water levels are favorable, is used abundantly by wading birds, waterfowl, andshorebirds. [Is a bird list available?].