Often described as a "river of grass," this vast, slow-moving sheet of water flows imperceptibly southward from Lake Okeechobee through a sprawling 1. Water Systems and the Landscape of Limestone Florida’s geology is fundamentally shaped by its underlying bedrock of limestone and dolomite, which is relatively close to the surface.
The Limestone Sponge Beneath Florida's Underground Rivers
The limestone acts like a sponge, creating an extensive network of caves, sinkholes, and underground rivers. These barrier islands, such as Sanibel, Captiva, and Anna Maria, act as natural buffers, absorbing the energy of storms and creating the calm, shallow waters of the Intracoastal Waterway that runs parallel to the mainland.
The Defining Shape: Peninsula and Coastline The most immediate geographic feature is the peninsula itself, bounded by the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Johns River, which flows northward for over 300 miles from its headwaters near Vero Beach to its mouth in Jacksonville, and the Apalachicola River, which forms in Georgia and flows through the Florida Panhandle before emptying into the Gulf.
The Limestone Sponge Beneath Florida's Underground Rivers
The geography here is influenced by the Appalachian Mountains' foothills, creating a landscape that feels distinct from the flatter peninsula. Florida’s geography is a study in contrasts, defined by a slender peninsula stretching dramatically into the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
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