HISTORY OF DEGRADATION (WHY)

The Lake Wales Ridge State Forest plays an integral role in protecting and improving water quality in the Kissimmee Basin, which encompasses more than two dozen lakes in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, including their tributary streams and associated marshes, and the Kissimmee River and floodplain. We estimate that these planted acres will intercept and filter 17,010,171 gallons of rainwater annually and prevent 167,512 gallons of runoff annually.