139

areas surface depressions reflected larger depressions in

the underlying limestone substrate, only partially filled

with organic soils.

 Elevation profiles for other representative strands

and sloughs are given in Figure 30. Depth versus area and

depth versus volume in one of these sloughs are plotted in

Figure 31. Area increased more rapidly than volume with

depth (Figure 32). In general sloughs were deeper than

strands, and, up to a point, the broader the slough the

greater its depth. This relationship is expressed in

Figure 33, which gives a plot of depth-at-deepest-point

versus width of sloughs. Area is roughly proportional to

width.



Water Depths

 Prior to drainage, sheet water over wet prairie areas

of Collier County was sometimes 1.5 ft (45 cm) deep or

deeper (Figure 29). Water depths were probably slightly

less over wet prairies in Lee and Hendry counties; 1 ft (30

cm) in Lee and 0.5 ft (15 cm) in Hendry. Dwarf cypress

areas have approximately the same relative elevations as

wet prairies. Cypress strands and swamp hammock areas are

slightly shallower than sloughs and marshes, but have a

greater average depth than sloughs when surrounding areas

are flooded. This is because cypress strands and swamp

hammocks generally cut through wet prairies of dwarf

cypress, which are regularly flooded, while sloughs and