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The headwaters of the Everglades watershed is a slow, meandering, cypress-lined creek just outside the city of Orlando.
Fresh water from Shingle Creek is vital to the health of the Everglades, hundreds of miles to the south.
Rising from a swamp just south of the bustling city of Orlando, Shingle Creek is considered the headwaters of the entire Everglades watershed. This unassuming waterway is the start of an incredible natural drainage system that historically delivered clean, fresh water all the way to Florida Bay—a journey of some 350 meandering miles. Unfortunately, over the past century, man has interrupted this flow at several key points along the way, most notably at Lake Okeechobee. Today, the Everglades and the bay receive less than half the fresh water they need to support the unique habitats that are home to a wide variety of plants and animals, some of which don’t exist anywhere else on the planet. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), passed in 2000, aims to reconnect Shingle Creek and the Everglades, sending more clean water south.
Over its 23-mile course, before it flows into Lake Tohopekaliga, Shingle Creek meanders through swamplands, wet prairies, pine islands, and cypress forests. (The creek’s name derives from these cypress trees, from which shingles are made.) Its remarkable populations of animals, birds, and fish make it a popular destination for hikers, canoers, kayakers, and wildlife watchers. In a single day, visitors have the chance to see dozens of different species, from the mundane to the exotic. Whitetail deer and wild turkeys appear onshore, while alligators sun themselves or lurk in backwaters. Birders can spot herons, egrets, ibis, wood ducks, and even bald eagles. As it is everywhere in Florida, the key to this healthy ecosystem is fresh water, and in the next five stops along this journey we will focus on how people are working to restore the natural flow of this vital resource.
...and what is at stake of being lost.
What’s My Name?
If you’re a Floridian, it’s a speck, or speckled perch; if you’re a visitor, you’d call it a black crappie. Found over much of the state of Florida, this popular game fish thrives in clear, calm water, such as lakes, reservoirs, and slow-moving rivers, yet unlike most panfish, it feeds primarily offshore on small fish. Its scales are typically yellowish green in color, and it features large dorsal and anal fins that are practically identical in size.
Don’t Fly Too Close
Deadly to insects but not to humans, the insectivorous hooded pitcher plant, commonly found in swampy environments of northern Florida, lures flying insects into its tube-like leaves with an enticing combination of nectar, scent, and translucent patches on the leaves. Once deep inside, the insects are trapped by reverse-facing hairs and slippery walls. The plant then digests the insects leaving only tiny, indigestible body parts behind.
Here, Kitty, Kitty …
Though seldom seen, bobcats are, in fact, widely distributed throughout Florida. These stealthy and efficient hunters prey on squirrels, rabbits, rats, and various ground birds, and typically call the deep forest, swamps, and hammock land of Florida’s unpopulated regions home. However, they can also be found in urban and suburban areas, where they may occasionally take a feral cat or domestic chicken. Approximately twice the size of an average domesticated cat, the bobcat is identifiable by its tufted ears, mottled or spotted fur, and its trademark short or “bobbed” tail.
Shingle Creek offers a wilderness experience right outside the city of Orlando.
The restoration of 40 miles of river and floodplain is proof that these massive projects can be completed and show immediate results.
This is where the southward flow of water was interrupted. The reservoir will clean and store fresh water before it is sent south.
The road bed for Highway 41 effectively dammed the shallow “sheet flow” of water from the north, but two new bridges have restored the flow.
The major outlet for fresh water from the Everglades, Shark River features the region’s tallest and most productive red-mangrove forests.
Florida Bay now receives less than 50% of the fresh water it needs to maintain its massive seagrass beds, which are the key to the entire ecosystem.
From your first cast to your bucket-list trip, Orvis Adventures is dedicated to helping you explore your passion.