ABSTRACT
The historical Kissimmee River ecosystem consisted of 166 km of meandering river course that flowed within a 1.5 to 3.0 km wide floodplain. The hydrology of the historic floodplain maintained 18,000 ha of wetlands, including a mosaic of at least seven plant community types. The floodplain provided important wintering habitat for 19 species of migratory waterfowl and supported populations of 21 species of wading birds. In 1948, Congress authorized the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project, and in 1954 authorized the Kissimmee basin portion of this project. The project was completed between 1962–1971 and resulted in regulation of water levels in the upper Kissimmee basin lakes, channelization of the lower river basin, and construction of six water-control structures along the channelized river. The flood control project clearly destroyed the integrity of the Kissimmee River ecosystem. The associated development of river/floodplain restoration principles provided the basis for the current plan to restore the Kissimmee River ecosystem.
