BUREAU OF GEOLOGY


*.g BP


 Figure 15. Peat deposits in Florida. (From State of Florida Gover-
 nor's Energy Office, 1981).


between 12 to 20 feet above mean sea level (M.S.L.) (Parker, 1974). The
water level in the upper Everglades rose and fell in response to the fluctu-
ations of Lake Okeechobee.
 In the wet season, most of the Everglades was inundated much of the
time. When the water level of Lake Okeechobee reached about 14.6 feet
(M.S.L.), two separate segments of the lake shore would begin overflow-
ing into the Everglades. At about 18 feet (M.S.L.), the entire southern
shore (30 miles) overflowed, pouring a flood into the upper Everglades
(Parker, 1974). It is important to note, however, that losses due to
evapotranspiration are estimated to have been as high as 82 percent.
Thus, flood water from Lake Okeechobee most probably did not travel
the entire length of the Everglades, but rather local precipitation caused
the inundation (Parker, 1974). This mass of water flowed sluggishly to