Kissimmee River Pre-Channelization Floodplain Vegetation (1952-1954)

This polygon feature class defines the extent and type of vegetation in the Kissimmee River Floodplain circa 1952 to 1954. Vegetation data were compiled in 1982 from historical aerial photography and depicts the river and floodplain prior to its channelization by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Central & Southern Project (C&SF Project). A detailed description of the project can be found in: Pierce, G., A. Amerson, Jr., and L. Becker, Jr. 1982. Pre-1960 floodplain vegetation of the lower Kissimmee River Valley, Florida. Biological Services Report 82-3, Prepared by Environmental Consultants, Inc., Dallas, TX. The work was done through US Army Corps of Engineers Contract Number DACW17-81-C-0047. The objective of this project was to produce spatially and thematically accurate maps of the vegetation as depicted during 1952-1954 aerial images and to store data in a means that will allow immediate and future evaluation of vegetation communities. These data depict the pre-1960 vegetation of the Kissimmee River floodplain, an area approximately 1 mi wide and 50 mi long, at a scale of 1:24,000. These data were used to define restoration expectations for the Kissimmee River Restoration Project (KRRP). Historically, the Kissimmee River meandered approximately 103 miles from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee, through a 1-3 mile wide floodplain. The river and its flanking floodplain were comprised of a mosaic of wetland plant communities and supported a diverse group of waterfowl, wading birds, fish, and other wildlife (Toth 1993, Toth et al. 1995). For reference access the following documents: The Ecological Basis of the Kissimmee River Restoration Plan (1993) The Journal of the Society for Ecological Restoration - Kissimmee River Restoration (1995) Final Report - Pre 1960 Floodplain Vegetation of the Lower Kissimmee River Valley Kissimmee River Restoration Studies (2005) Between 1962 and 1971, to prevent catastrophic flooding, the river was transformed into a 56 mile long, 30-foot-deep drainage canal that passed through 6 water control structures. The dam like structures created a series of 5 impoundments or pools that were held at stable levels to function as navigational steps between the two lakes and as reservoirs for the regulation of flow. Unintended impacts to the ecosystem included drainage of two-thirds of floodplain wetlands and drastic declines in wintering waterfowl, wading bird, and game fish populations as well as a general loss of wetland functions and values (Toth 1995).