Forested wetlands are found as floodplains along major rivers systems and as large connected systems, particularly in south Florida. The Florida Everglades is unique in the world, combining both temperate and tropical flora in a widely shifting mosaic of habitats. A significant portion of Florida’s landscape is covered by wetlands, ranging from expansive systems (e.g., Everglades, Big Cypress, Paynes Prairie) to isolated features located in a mosaic of upland communities (e.g., ephemeral wetlands, pitcher plant bogs). The lake was the source of the Everglade’s sheetflow which sustained the Everglades and nourished Florida Bay and coastal estuaries. The lake is formed by a broad, shallow, relatively circular depression in bedrock and has a surface area of approximately 1,890 km2 (730 mi2). Lake Okeechobee is the central feature of the South Florida Ecosystem. The large river systems in northern Florida have the highest diversity of freshwater fish species and aquatic invertebrates in the state due to the higher gradient of rivers and streams, proximity to the continental landmass, and the presence of karst features such as sinkholes and caves. Florida has more than 1,700 streams and rivers, 7,800 freshwater lakes, over 1,000 springs, and 11 million acres of wetlands.

South florida freshwater fish