
Taylor Slough, located in the southeastern corner of the
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
Everglades
The Everglades is a natural region of tropical climate, tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orland ...
, along with the much larger
Shark River Slough
Shark River Slough (SRS) is a low-lying area of land that channels water through the Florida Everglades, beginning in Water Conservation Area 3, flowing through Everglades National Park, and ultimately into Florida Bay. Together with Taylor Slough ...
farther to the west, are the principal natural drainages for the freshwater
Everglades
The Everglades is a natural region of tropical climate, tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orland ...
and the essential conduit for providing overland freshwater to
Florida Bay
Florida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades) and the Florida Keys in the United States. It is a large, shallow estuary that while connected to the Gulf of Mexico, has limited exchange o ...
.
Description
Taylor Slough is a 247 square kilometer wetland system. The slough stretches from the east everglades, to the northern portion of
Florida Bay
Florida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades) and the Florida Keys in the United States. It is a large, shallow estuary that while connected to the Gulf of Mexico, has limited exchange o ...
. In its natural form, Taylor Slough is the primary source of overland, freshwater flow into the north eastern part of
Florida Bay
Florida Bay is the bay located between the southern end of the Florida mainland (the Florida Everglades) and the Florida Keys in the United States. It is a large, shallow estuary that while connected to the Gulf of Mexico, has limited exchange o ...
. A major portion of the Taylor Slough resides in
Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is an American national park that protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east ...
. Taylor Slough crosses over part of the
C-111 basin.
History
The term
slough
Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4 ...
(pronounced ''slew'') is used to describe areas of the Everglades where there is slightly deeper water than in the surrounding marshes and where a slow, but measurable, current is present. In essence, sloughs are the broad, shallow rivers of the Everglades. Sloughs occupy areas of slight depressions in the limestone bedrock underlying south Florida and generally remain wet during the seasonal dry period (November to May). Sloughs are important refuges for aquatic wildlife during these dry periods.
Dredging
The famous ''
Anhinga Trail
The Anhinga Trail is a short trail (about 0.4 miles) in the Everglades National Park. Located 4 miles from the park entrance, it starts at the Royal Palm Visitor Center. The trail is a paved walkway and a boardwalk over Taylor Slough, a freshwat ...
'' in the eastern section of
Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is an American national park that protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east ...
leads into a section of the Taylor Slough that was further deepened during the construction of the old Ingraham Highway from
Florida City to
Flamingo, Florida
Flamingo is the southernmost headquarters of Everglades National Park, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. Flamingo is one of the two end points of the 99-mile (159-km) Wilderness Waterway (with another end point at Gulf Coast Visitor Cente ...
.
Animals
Most animals can be found in Taylor Slough in the dry season.
See also
*
Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow
The Cape Sable seaside sparrow (''Ammospiza maritima mirabilis'') is a subspecies of the seaside sparrow, a species of bird in the family Passerellidae native to the United States. This subspecies is endemic to southern Florida. It is designated ...
*
Everglades
The Everglades is a natural region of tropical climate, tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orland ...
*
Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is an American national park that protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east ...
*
Marl prairie
Marl prairies are wet prairies that allow for a slow seepage of overland water and exist in the Everglades, usually bordering deeper sloughs, and contain low-growth vegetation.
Description
Marl is loose earthy deposits mixed with clay and calcium ...
*
Shark River Slough
Shark River Slough (SRS) is a low-lying area of land that channels water through the Florida Everglades, beginning in Water Conservation Area 3, flowing through Everglades National Park, and ultimately into Florida Bay. Together with Taylor Slough ...
References
{{Reflist
Everglades
Everglades National Park