South Florida land use and canal/levee network in 1973 (625x793 m cell resolution). Briefly, water flows from Lake Okeechobee into the canal/levee network and the Everglades Agricultural Area, then is routed by more water control structures into the Water Conservation Areas. The impounded WCAs serve to replenish aquifers used by the urban Lower East Coast and to protect the region from flooding. Much of the water is diverted through canals to the Atlantic Ocean (on the right), while the remainder flows into the Everglades National Park and vicinity.  
 
The impact of this water management on the "natural" systems of the Everglades is a focus of the ELM.