Restoration of the Everglades begins in the vicinity of Orlando. The Okeechobee River drains into Lake Okeechobee, a lake with an average depth of . During the wet season when the lake exceeds its capacity, the water leaves the lake in a very wide and shallow river, approximately long and wide. This wide and shallow flow is known as "sheetflow". The land gradually slopes toward Florida Bay, the historical destination of most of the water leaving the Everglades. Before drainage attempts, the Everglades comprised , taking up a third of the Florida peninsula. Since the early 19th century the Everglades have been a subject
Okeechobee County, Florida Okeechobee County, Florida Okeechobee County () is a county located in the state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,996. The county seat is Okeechobee. Okeechobee County comprises the Okeechobee, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL Combined Statistical Area. Okeechobee County was incorporated in 1917. It was named for Lake Okeechobee, which was itself named for the Hitchiti words "oka" (water) and "chobi" (big). Historic buildings in Okeechobee County include: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land