The Green Swamp area in central Florida is another
area where man is developing agricultural land from marginal
land. Though the area is by no means as extensive as
that of the Everglades, the present efforts for its development
are similar to the early efforts for developing the Everglades
in that many miles of canals and ditches have been
constructed to improve the drainage.
Lest the early mistakes of the Everglades be repeated,
the Florida Department of Water Resources considered that
an appraisal of the physical and hydrologic features of the
area was needed to determine the broad effects of draining
and developing the swamp. This reconnaissance provides information required
by the State of Florida for determining its responsibility
and policy in regard to the Green Swamp area and
for formulating future plans for water management of the
area.
Some of the features that have been determined are:
the amount of rainfall on the area; the pattern of surfacewater
drainage; the amount and direction of surface-water
runoff; the direction of ground-water movement; the interrelationship
of rainfall, surface water, and ground water;
the effects of improved drainage facilities'; and the effects
of the hydrologic environment on the chemical quality of
water of the area.(PDF contains 106 pages.
