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Canals and Levees A The Everglades and Miami, Florida, USA story

Agriculture  / 
Cities  / 
Mining  / 
Water  / 
Wetlands
  1. The Everglades and Miami, Florida, USA
  2. Canals and Levees
Description

Historically, water flowed slowly southward through the Everglades in a wide swath. Record floods in 1947 and 1948 led to the construction of a massive flood control project. It served to prevent flooding and store water during dry periods. It also allowed for further development of the growing urban area on the Atlantic coastal ridge.

The project established three Water Conservation Areas (WCAs), one of which is the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. These areas are delineated in the Landsat images, clearly divided by the levees and canals. Also visible are the Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and Everglades Agricultural Area.

Another part of the project is the 100-mile-long eastern perimeter levee, a 3- to 6-meter high earthen berm built to prevent flooding of farmland and urban areas. It runs along the eastern edge of the WCAs, marking a clear separation between the WCAs and urban areas such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Coral Springs.

Along with facilitating the further growth of the urban areas of greater Miami, the other upshot of the project was that the natural flow of water was interrupted, changing the hydrology of the region. The gradual sheet flow of freshwater is diminished, and instead sudden pulses of water are delivered by the canals. These sudden releases caused decreases in the numbers of fish species.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

Oct. 19, 1974, Landsat 1 (path/row 16/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Oct. 19, 1974, Landsat 1 (path/row 16/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Nov. 2, 1985, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Nov. 2, 1985, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Nov. 6, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Nov. 6, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Nov. 17, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Nov. 17, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

Oct. 19, 1974, Landsat 1 (path/row 16/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA
Nov. 2, 1985, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA
Nov. 6, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA
Nov. 17, 2008, Landsat 5 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA
Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA
Oct. 22, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 15/42) — Canal and levee system, Everglades, Florida, USA

The Everglades and Miami, Florida, USA Additional Imagery & Stories

Agriculture
Agriculture

The fertile muck soils along the south shore of Lake Okeechobee in the Everglades Agricultural Area are intensively farmed. Tomatoes, beans, squash, p...

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Limestone Mining
Limestone Mining

The Everglades sit on top of a bedrock of limestone. Limestone quarries, the dark rectangular shapes just west of the urban areas, provide about half ...

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Residential Lakes
Residential Lakes

A lot of the urban area consists of large planned communities, often for retirees. Many of these communities incorporate artificial residential lakes....

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Tree Islands
Tree Islands

A unique feature of the Everglades is the dark green teardrop-shaped forms scattered throughout the region. Referred to as hummocks, or “tree islands,...

Read More
Turkey Point
Turkey Point

There is a notable shape southeast of Homestead on the coast of the Bay of Biscayne. The top right corner of this shape is the location of the Turkey ...

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Urban Development
Urban Development

In 1900, southeastern Florida included a few small towns with a population of 3,592 people. Throughout the 20th century, Miami and other nearby towns ...

Read More
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