Florida's Swamplands: The Everglades, Big Cypress, and Beyond

Florida's swamplands are not a single swamp but a mosaic of freshwater wetlands covering ~1.2 million acres (down from ~3M historically), primarily in the southern and central peninsula.

Major Systems

• The Everglades ("River of Grass"): Slow-moving sheet flow (60 mi wide, 6 in deep) from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. Sawgrass marsh, tree islands (hammocks), sloughs. Everglades National Park (UNESCO) protects 1.5M acres.
• Big Cypress National Preserve: 729,000 acres NW of Everglades. Cypress strands, pinelands, prairies. Critical panther habitat. Oil/gas drilling permitted.
• Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (Audubon): Old-growth bald cypress (500+ yr), boardwalk, wood storks.
• Green Swamp (Central FL): Headwaters of Hillsborough, Withlacoochee, Ocklawaha, Peace rivers. Recharge for Floridan Aquifer.
• Okefenokee Swamp: Mostly GA, but extends into FL (Baker County). Blackwater, peat, alligators.
• Coastal Mangrove Swamps: Ten Thousand Islands, Tampa Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Indian River Lagoon. Salt-tolerant.

Ecological Importance

• Water Filtration & Recharge: Cleans runoff, replenishes aquifer (90% FL drinking water).
• Flood Buffer: Absorbs storm surge/rainfall (hurricanes).
• Biodiversity Hotspot: 70+ threatened/endangered species: Florida panther, manatee, snail kite, wood stork, ghost orchid, American crocodile.
• Carbon Sequestration: Peat soils store massive carbon.

Threats

• Drainage & Development: Canals, levees, agriculture (sugar), urban sprawl (Miami, Naples, Orlando fringes).
• Pollution: Phosphorus/nitrogen from farms → cattail invasion, algae blooms.
• Invasive Species: Burmese pythons, Brazilian pepper, melaleuca, lionfish (coastal).
• Climate Change: Sea-level rise → saltwater intrusion, mangrove migration, peat collapse.

Conservation

• CERP (Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan): $20B+, 30-yr federal/state plan: restore flow, storage, quality.
• Land Acquisition: Florida Forever, conservation easements.
• Invasive Removal: Python Challenge, biocontrol.
• Public Education: Boardwalks (Anhinga, Corkscrew), airboat tours (regulated).

Visiting: Shark Valley (tram/bike), Anhinga Trail (walk), airboat (authorized), kayak (Turner River, Nine Mile Pond).