With growing anticipation I approached the town of Moore Haven in central Florida, where I expected to catch my first glimpse of Lake Okeechobee, the second largest freshwater lake lying completely within the United States. I negotiated a long curve into town, watching for the lake to emerge on my left. Nothing. No water, no view. Just a giant, grass-covered berm rising 20 feet above the highway. My stomach flip-flopped a bit. Surely the lake was not being held back by this mound of dirt? As if mocking me, the berm followed me around the southern shore. By the time I had passed through Moore Haven, Clewiston, South Bay, and Belle Glade, it became clear that the highway would afford no view of the lake. At various spots, signs pointed to Okeechobee trailheads, but I was expected in West Palm Beach and had no time to explore. Besides, the thought of millions of gallons of water lapping at the top of that behemoth berm, just waiting for an opportunity to break free and sweep me away, was unsettling to say the least.

The dike at Port Mayaca, easternmost point of the lake. Locks control releases from the lake into the St. Lucie canal, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.

The next day, having finished my business on the east coast, I headed back home, determined to delve further into the mystery of the missing body of water. Lake Okeechobee emerged approximately 6,000 years ago when receding seas revealed the Florida peninsula and the shallow depression that became the lake. Since that time, Okeechobee has been the liquid heart of south Florida. Although shallow (its average depth is nine feet), the lake holds enormous amounts of water. Each year it captures billions of gallons of rainwater during the summer rainy season. With no natural outlets, Okeechobee historically overflowed its southern rim, sending a miles-wide sheet of fresh water south and helping to create the Everglades.

There is evidence that Native American tribes settled close to the lake some 4,000 years ago; in fact, the word Okeechobee is the Seminole word for “Big Water.” For centuries, Native Americans coexisted with Read the rest of this entry »