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
Florida Heartland Series race usually held in the second week of March, drew a "paying crowd" of more than 169,000 in 2006. Many seasonal residents live in the area during the winter months only, as temperatures in south Florida stay very moderate during that time of year. Lake Okeechobee and Lake Istokpoga attract fishers to the area. Area code 863 is used throughout the region. There are two daily newspapers published in the Heartland, the "Okeechobee News" (Okeechobee), and "Highlands Today" (Sebring). Other daily newspapers that serve the Heartland include: There are no local television stations in the Florida Heartland. TV service