The rest of us may have four seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter), but did you know the Everglades only has two seasons? The Everglades seasons don’t go by the temperature, but rather the water levels in the wetland. The two seasons are known as: the Wet Season and the Dry Season.
The Everglades’ wet seasons runs from April to November. During this time, the area experience intense storms and rains. The Everglades gets about 60 inches of rain per year. The Dry Season begins in November and ends in April. There is little rain during the dry season, usually only around a quarter of the yearly rainfall occurs during the dry season.
The Everglades’ water levels aren’t just determined by the rainfall in the Everglades, but in other parts of the state of Florida, as well. Why? Well, there are so many different bodies of water that flow into the Everglades. Rain in Central Florida makes its way down into Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay, which lead into the Everglades.
Since humans have disrupted the natural flow of water in the Everglades (water has been diverted), animal and plant life populations have changed and declined. Naturally, the water levels in the Everglades change month to month, but the animal life and plant life that are native to the area are accustomed to these water changes. In fact, they expect and depend on the water levels to change.
For example, some birds will only nest if the water level is at a certain height; if it’s not, the birds will be hesitant to settle down to nest. There are many reasons birds fly to the Everglades during the winter. Since it’s the dry season in Florida, it’s not only warmer than the North, but the dry weather makes it easier for the birds and their offspring to find food. Birds, like the Wood Stork and Anhinga breed, need shallow water to find fish and other food sources faster and easier. When the water levels change, the birds will start to look for other places to nest or won’t breed at all.
The ecosystem of the Everglades is delicate. It requires an ideal balance for the animals and plants to be happy and thrive. Unfortunately, humans, storms, climate change, and invasive species can wreak havoc on this balance. If there is too little or too much water in the Everglades, animals will move elsewhere, plants will die off and slowly more and more negative changes will begin to snowball. This water affects breeding, drinking, growing, and provides homes and shelters.
The water in the Everglades even affects humans’ drinking water. As water flows into the Everglades, it gets soaked into the limestone underground and gets stored into aquifers (caves). Aquifers are fresh water sources. The Biscayne Aquifer provides the clean drinking water for southeast Florida.
A proper balance of water is essential in the Everglades, as well as the water’s timing and quality and where it ends up.
If you’d like to get a chance to fly through some of the Everglades’ waterways, book a trip on an airboat with Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours. Click here or call 800-368-0065 to book an airboat tour adventure today.