Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee is Florida's largest freshwater lake and one of the defining natural landmarks of South Florida, sitting approximately 40 miles northwest of West Palm Beach. Known as "big water" in the Seminole Indian language, the lake covers a surface area of 730 square miles yet remains shallow, with an average depth of only 9 feet. Lake Okeechobee and its wetlands sit at the center of a much larger watershed — the Greater Everglades — that stretches from the Kissimmee River through the Everglades and finally into Florida Bay. Over the course of more than a century, the lake has been central to the development of Palm Beach County: it fed the canals that drained land for agriculture, it powered a commercial fishing and tourism economy, and its catastrophic failure in 1928 became one of the deadliest natural disasters in American history, leaving permanent scars on the communities of West Palm Beach and the surrounding region.

Geography and Physical Characteristics

The lake lies about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of West Palm Beach at the northern edge of the Everglades. A remnant of the prehistoric Pamlico Sea, which once occupied the entire basin including the Everglades, it bears the Hitchiti Indian name for "big water." The lake is about 35 miles (55 km) long with a shoreline of 135 miles (220 km) and, including several small islands, covers an area of about 730 square miles (1,900 square km). The surface sits between 12.5 and 15.5 feet (4 to 5 metres) above mean sea level, depending upon the water level in the lake, and the average depth is 10 to 12 feet (3 to 4 metres).

The southeast section of Lake Okeechobee forms part of the north and west borders of Palm Beach County. The entire lake averages 45 miles in diameter and covers more than 730 square miles. It is the second largest freshwater lake in the United States located entirely within one state's boundaries.

In 1963, the lake was divided among the five counties surrounding it: Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, and Hendry counties. The chief source of water is the Kissimmee River watershed, immediately to the north, which drains into a chain of lakes that in turn empties into the Kissimmee River as it flows southward to Lake Okeechobee. Other rivers that flow into the lake include Fisheating Creek, Taylor Creek, Nicodemus Slough, Nubbin Slough, and Lake Istokpoga. The waters of the lake flow outward to the Everglades, Caloosahatchee River, New River, Miami River, and St. Lucie River.

Several small islands dot Lake Okeechobee, including Eagle Bay, Grass, Horse, Hog, Kreamer, Observation, Ritta, and Torry. Communities along the lakeshore include Pahokee, Belle Glade, South Bay, Clewiston, and the city of Okeechobee.

Early History and Native Peoples

While people may have entered the Kissimmee River valley during the Archaic period (8000–1000 BCE), occupation of the area around Lake Okeechobee probably began about 1000 BCE, when the Belle Glade culture, which lasted until about 1700 CE, appeared. The population in the Belle Glade culture area was sparse, with many sites apparently occupied by one or two families, but there are many large mounds and other earthworks in the culture area. European goods have been found in many archaeological sites in the Belle Glade culture area, but little is known of what happened to the people.

Europeans encountered a thriving native population — the Mayaimi — in the Lake Okeechobee Basin, while the Jaegas and Ais resided east of Lake Okeechobee and along the east coast north of the Tequestas. Before it was named Okeechobee, the lake was formerly called Mayaimi in the 16th century. According to Hernando de Escalante Fontaneda, Mayaimi is the oldest known name of the lake.

The lake was first documented by Spanish explorers in the 16th century, with the name "Okeechobee" likely originating from the Hitchiti words for "big water." The fertile land around Lake Okeechobee attracted farmers over subsequent centuries, and the area became known for its agricultural potential. A Seminole reservation was eventually established near the northwestern shore of the lake.

The West Palm Beach Canal and Early Development

The relationship between Lake Okeechobee and West Palm Beach was transformed fundamentally in the early twentieth century through the construction of drainage infrastructure. In legislation passed in 1905 and 1907, the Florida Legislature created the Everglades Drainage District to lower the water level of Lake Okeechobee and drain the Everglades. Dredging of the New River Canal began in 1906. The North New River, Miami, Hillsboro, and West Palm Beach canals were completed by 1917.

The West Palm Beach Canal opened in 1917. The canal stretched from the Lake Worth Lagoon westward to Twenty Mile Bend and then northwestward to Canal Point, where it enters Lake Okeechobee. The canal lowered Lake Okeechobee and allowed land to be drained for agriculture, while also allowing easier transportation of crops to the coast. The city capitalized on this development and built a new canal branch and dock facilities, boat slips, a turning basin, and warehouses. West Palm Beach soon became the county's shopping center for pineapple, sugar cane, and winter vegetables.

The drainage of the lake by those canals, combined with a severe drought in 1917, lowered the lake's level until much of the lake bed was exposed, and muck fires burned much of the exposed peat. Despite the drainage, the lake continued to periodically overflow onto the newly developed farmland near the lake. The Everglades Drainage District began construction of a 47-mile-long (76 km) levee around the southern side of the lake in 1921, from just north of Moore Haven to just south of Pahokee. The levee, built with mud, sand, clay, and shell, was 40 feet (12 m) wide at the base and rose to 21 feet (6.4 m) above sea level — lower than the highest recorded level for the lake.

The 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane and Its Aftermath

The most consequential event in the shared history of Lake Okeechobee and West Palm Beach was the catastrophic hurricane of September 1928, which remains among the deadliest natural disasters in United States history. On September 16, 1928, the deadliest hurricane in Florida's history struck West Palm Beach. As it moved inland, it drove the waters of Lake Okeechobee against the mud levees on its shores. Disruption of communications made tracking the center of the storm difficult, so it came as a surprise on the evening of September 16th when the eye passed over West Palm Beach. As the hurricane traveled over the lake to the west of the city, its winds shifted from northerly to southerly. This sloshed the waters of the shallow lake first against the southern dikes, then across to the northern ones. The meager dried-mud dikes failed on both sides, causing flash floods that caught people huddled in their homes unable to escape.

Rainfall and wind from the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane pushed the lake water level to 29.6 feet (9.0 m) above sea level, overtopping the levee and causing vast flooding. The Red Cross initially reported 1,836 deaths from the flooding, but in 2003 the number was revised to "at least 2,500." The updated National Hurricane Center publication lists the death toll as "at least 2,500," establishing the Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 as the second worst natural disaster in terms of lives lost in United States history.

The storm's effect on West Palm Beach was devastating and lasting. After the storm, at least 743 bodies were brought to West Palm Beach for burial. Due to racial segregation, all but eight of the victims who received a proper burial at Woodlawn Cemetery were white. The remaining 674 bodies who were Black or of an unidentifiable race were mass-buried at a site near the junction of 25th Street and Tamarind Avenue, which was the city's paupers cemetery. In West Palm Beach's Woodlawn Cemetery, a stone marker stands today in memory of 69 victims of the storm.

The tragedy led to the construction of the Hoover Dike around the lake and the formation of the Okeechobee Flood Control District to oversee flood control measures in the area. Following the 1928 hurricane, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began construction of the Herbert Hoover Dike in the 1930s to prevent future flooding disasters. The dike was completed in the 1960s and serves to protect the surrounding communities from lake overflow. A 155-mile (250-km) cross-state waterway, from Stuart on the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lucie Canal across Lake Okeechobee and down the Caloosahatchee River to the Gulf of Mexico, was completed in 1937.

Ecology, Agriculture, and Recreation

Flora and Fauna

The waters and shores of Lake Okeechobee support various communities of fish, birds, and other animals. Bluegill and red-ear sunfish are among the 60 species of freshwater fish found in Lake Okeechobee, but largemouth bass are its dominant freshwater predators. Lake Okeechobee has some of the biggest bass in the country and more of them than any other lake in the United States. The apple snail is the largest native freshwater snail in North America and an indicator of water quality. The decline of these snails affects the snail kite, and to a lesser degree the limpkin — birds that depend on the apple snail for food.

The pond apple tree is recognized as an important nesting habitat for wading birds and a trellis for the Okeechobee gourd, which is now protected as an endangered species by federal law. Forests of pond apple trees once dominated the southern rim of the lake, but by 1930, ninety-five percent of them had been removed to make way for farmland and water-level management.

Agriculture and the Glades Communities

The cluster of farming communities that includes Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay — together known as The Glades — form a major hub of Florida's agricultural heartland. The ink-black soil, so thick locals call it "muck," is fertile ground for sugarcane and sweet corn. A large area of the Everglades immediately south of the lake was drained for farmland, particularly sugarcane. The lake provides natural habitat for fish, wading birds, and other wildlife, and supplies essential water for people, farms, and the environment.

Recreation and Tourism

Lake Okeechobee is a major draw for anglers — some call it the Bass Fishing Capital of America, with excellent crappie, speck, and bluegill fishing as well. The 175-kilometer Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail is a well-maintained multiuse pathway that surrounds the lake and is used by hikers, bicyclists, and tourists. Camping options in the area include Torry Island Campground, a prime spot for bald eagle, osprey, and roseate spoonbill sightings.

Environmental Challenges and Restoration

In the modern era, Lake Okeechobee faces serious and persistent environmental pressures. The lake is polluted with excessive nutrients and pesticides and, as a result, experiences periodic cyanobacteria algae blooms. High water levels in the lake create concern that the dike may breach, endangering public health and safety. The overall health of Lake Okeechobee has declined over the years due to excessive nutrient pollution from agricultural and urban runoff, damaging high and low water levels, and the spread of exotic vegetation. This has contributed to recurring harmful algal blooms and declining water quality in the lake and connected rivers and estuaries.

In 2013, heavy rains in central Florida resulted in high runoff into the lake; rising lake levels forced the Army Corps of Engineers to release large volumes of polluted water from the lake through the St. Lucie River estuary to the east and the Caloosahatchee River estuary to the west. The normal mix of fresh and salt water in those estuaries was replaced by a flood of polluted fresh water, resulting in ecological damage.

The Florida Legislature enacted the 2000 Lake Okeechobee Protection Act and the subsequent Lake Okeechobee Protection Program to restore the lake and its watershed. The Lake Okeechobee Protection Program is a phased, comprehensive, and innovative program designed to restore and protect the lake by improving water quality and implementing long-term solutions. Lake Okeechobee also serves as a key component of South Florida's water supply and flood control systems, making its restoration a matter of urgent regional importance for communities throughout Palm Beach County and beyond.

See Also

• Herbert Hoover Dike
• West Palm Beach Canal
• Everglades
• Palm Beach County
• Belle Glade, Florida
• 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane