# The Glades (DD-619) > The Everglades is a region of flooded grasslands in southern Florida. It forms the southern half of the Kissimmee–Okeechobee–Everglades watershed, which begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River. That river drains into shallow Lake Okeechobee. In the wet season, water spilling south from the lake spreads into a sheet about 60 miles wide and over 100 miles long. It moves about half a mile a day across a limestone shelf toward Florida Bay, and can take months or years to get there. Marjory Stoneman Douglas called it a "river of grass" in her 1947 book. Wikipedia notes the phrase captures only part of the system. Its main feature is sawgrass marsh, broken up by deeper sloughs, tree islands, cypress domes, and mangroves and coastal prairie where it meets the sea. The National Park Service calls the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) a keystone species of the Everglades. In the winter dry season, alligators dig "alligator holes" that hold water when the surrounding marsh dries out, becoming refuges for fish, turtles and wading birds. About half of the original Everglades has been converted to farms and cities. Canals and levees were built from the late 1800s, including 1,400 miles under a 1948 federal flood-control project. Congress approved the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan in 2000. Everglades National Park was dedicated by President Truman on December 6, 1947. The footage shows open sawgrass water under a blue sky, then close-ups of marsh plants, an alligator and cypress trunks. - Department: Nature (also Locations) - First published: 2025-07-21 - Last updated: 2025-07-21 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-glades/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## On the timeline - **Dec. 6, 1947**: President Truman dedicates Everglades National Park - **2000**: Congress approves the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=the-glades ## Quick facts - **DD-619-F01**: Water in the Everglades flows south at about half a mile a day. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Sheet flow))_ - **DD-619-F02**: The NPS calls the American alligator a keystone species of the Everglades. _(Write-up · Exhibit D (Alligator holes))_ ## Write-up A river made of grass. Water creeps south from Lake Okeechobee at about half a mile a day. 1. **Starts upstream**: The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which feeds Lake Okeechobee. 2. **Sheet flow**: Water spreads south in a sheet about 60 miles wide, moving roughly half a mile a day. 3. **River of grass**: Marjory Stoneman Douglas coined the phrase in 1947. Sawgrass marsh is the main habitat. 4. **Alligator holes**: Alligators dig holes that keep water through the dry season and shelter other wildlife. 5. **Half gone**: About half the original Everglades has been developed. Restoration was approved in 2000. ## Related case files - [Ant Rafting (DD-662)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/ant-rafting/): Another wetland species case - [Reservoir Ruin (DD-718)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/reservoir-ruin/): Another case about US water management - [Frozen Gators (DD-491)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/frozen-gators/): I linked more on the Everglades ## Reel vs. record - **Note**: 'Its freshwater system begins with rainfall and overflow from Lake Okeechobee': the watershed starts farther north, near Orlando, with the Kissimmee River feeding the lake. - **Note**: 'A vast, slow-moving river of grass': about 60 miles wide and over 100 miles long, moving roughly half a mile a day. Marjory Stoneman Douglas coined the phrase in 1947. - **Note**: 'Alligator holes': the NPS explains that alligators dig them in the winter dry season. They hold water when the marsh dries and shelter fish, turtles and birds. - **Note**: 'Feeding a shallow sheet flow of water southward': toward Florida Bay. The water can take months or years to get there, and canals and levees now divert much of it. - **Missing**: about half the original Everglades has been converted to farms and cities. Everglades National Park was dedicated on December 6, 1947, and Congress approved a restoration plan in 2000. ## Video: The Glades: A River Made of Grass - Duration: 23.6 s · Published: 2025-07-21 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DMYbiptSAtI.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? The Everglades aquatic ecosystem in southern Florida is a vast, slow-moving river of grass composed of interconnected wetlands, sloughs, marshes, and mangroves that support remarkable biodiversity. Its freshwater system begins with rainfall and overflow from Lake Okeechobee feeding a shallow sheet flow of water southward. This flow contains sawgrass marshes, cypress domes, alligator holes, and coastal estuaries. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: Who called the Everglades a 'river of grass'?** A: In her 1947 book. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Starts upstream) · Wikipedia: Everglades)_ **Q: About how fast does Everglades sheet flow move?** A: It can take months or years to reach Florida Bay. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Starts upstream) · Wikipedia: Everglades)_ **Q: Which animal digs 'alligator holes'?** A: During the dry season. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Sheet flow) · Wikipedia: Everglades)_ **Q: Which river starts the Everglades watershed?** A: It flows into Lake Okeechobee. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Starts upstream) · Wikipedia: Everglades)_ **Q: When was Everglades National Park dedicated?** A: By President Truman, on December 6. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (Starts upstream) · Wikipedia: Everglades)_ ## Sources - [Wikipedia: Everglades](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades) - [National Park Service: American Alligator, Everglades National Park](https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/alligator.htm) - [National Park Service: Park Establishment, Everglades National Park](https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/historyculture/parkestablish.htm) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "The Glades." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-619, last updated Jul 21, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-glades/