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
Battle of Lake Okeechobee halted before a portrait of Zachary Taylor, grinned and exclaimed: "Me whip!" There are now over four thriving Seminole Indian reservations located in south Florida, one of which is in Okeechobee County. The National Trust for Historic Preservation placed the site of the Battle of Okeechobee as one of 11 places, in the whole country, on a list of "America's Most Endangered Historic Places 2000". The state of Florida spent $3.2 million for a park. An annual battle reenactment is held to raise money for the State park. Battle of Lake Okeechobee The Battle of Lake Okeechobee was one of