Kissimmee River

Kissimmee River
A stretch of the straightened and channelized Kissimmee River in central Florida
The Kissimmee River flows south through central Florida into Lake Okeechobee.
Location
Country	United States
State	Florida
Physical characteristics
Source	East Lake Tohopekaliga
• location	Osceola County, Florida
• coordinates	27°59′25″N 81°22′44″W / 27.99028°N 81.37889°W / 27.99028; -81.37889[1]
Mouth	Lake Okeechobee
• location	Florida
• coordinates	27°8′34″N 80°51′16″W / 27.14278°N 80.85444°W / 27.14278; -80.85444[1]
Length	134 mi (216 km)
Basin size	3,000 sq mi (7,800 km2)

The Kissimmee River is a river in south-central Florida, United States that forms the north part of the Everglades wetlands area. The river begins at East Lake Tohopekaliga south of Orlando, flowing south through Lake Kissimmee into the large, shallow Lake Okeechobee. Hurricane-related floods in 1947 prompted channelization of the meandering lower stretch, completed by 1970. The straightened course reduced wetland habitat and worsened pollution. In response, efforts since the 1990s have partially restored the river's original state and revitalized the ecosystem, as part of the broader restoration of the Everglades.