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37-484: The Kissimmee River arises in Osceola County as the outflow from East Lake Tohopekaliga , passing through Lake Tohopekaliga , Lake Cypress, Lake Hatchineha and Lake Kissimmee . Below Lake Kissimmee, the river forms the boundary between Osceola County and Polk County , between Highlands County and Okeechobee County , and between Glades County and Okeechobee County before it flows into Lake Okeechobee . The river

74-456: A commissioner. All the commissioners compose the Board of Commissioners that appoint a County Manager. There also is a Commission Auditor and County Attorney. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,506 square miles (3,900 km ), of which 1,327 square miles (3,440 km ) is land and 178 square miles (460 km ) (11.9%) is water. CSX 's A-line, formerly

111-528: A former SunBank location on 10th Street and New York Avenue. In 1995, this branch moved for its final time to a larger building on Indiana Avenue and 13th street where it is still located today. The first Poinciana Branch was opened in 1988. It was a modular building and consisted of a 14,000 book collection. This branch was eventually moved into a larger location with a collection of 40,000 books and computer access for patrons. Osceola Library Systems began as an independent organization on April 1, 1989. In 1990,

148-694: A significant influx of migrants from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the unincorporated territory of the United States, and in the 2000 U.S. Census Puerto Rican was the largest self-reported ancestry group. Osceola County is a charter county , and a subdivision within the State of Florida . Voters approved the County Charter in March 1992, and it took effect on October 1, 1992. The structure of County government under

185-527: Is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida . As of the 2020 census , the population was 388,656. Its county seat is Kissimmee . Osceola County is included in the Orlando – Kissimmee – Sanford , Fla. Metropolitan Statistical Area . Being 54.3% Hispanic, Osceola is one of three Hispanic-majority counties in Florida, owing to its large Puerto Rican American population. It also

222-592: Is a regional governmental district that oversees water resources from Orlando to the Florida Keys . The mission of the SFWMD is to manage and protect water resources by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems, and water supply, covering 16 counties in Central and Southern Florida . It is the largest water management district in the state, managing water needs for 7.7 million residents. A key initiative

259-632: Is home to the Ray Shanks Law Library, and TechCentral the library system's "creative space". Until 1989, there was no independent Osceola Library System. Instead, Osceola patrons were taken care of by Orange County Library System. Before that, there were two libraries, which are still named after the original independent libraries, run by women's organizations: Veteran's Memorial in Saint Cloud and Hart Memorial Library in Kissimmee. In 1910, land for

296-493: Is the 12th-largest majority-Hispanic county in the nation . Osceola County is named for the Native american leader Osceola , whose name means "Black Drink Cry [Asi Yaholo]". Osceola County was created in 1887. On July 21, 1821, Florida was divided into two counties, named Escambia County to the west and St. John's County to the east. In 1824, the southern part of St. John's County became Mosquito County , with Enterprise as

333-677: Is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. A book detailing the first forty years of the South Florida Water Management District titled "Into the Fifth Decade" was written by Thomas E. Huser. In the year 2000, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan began to undo some ecosystem damage caused by the C&;SF Project. The SFWMD is the designated local sponsor for

370-535: Is the restoration of America's Everglades – the largest environmental restoration project in the nation's history. The District is also working to improve the Kissimmee River and its floodplain, Lake Okeechobee and South Florida's coastal estuaries. The district's governing board consists of Chauncey Goss, Scott Wagner, Ron Bergeron Sr., Carlos E. Martinez, Cheryl Meads, Charlette Roman, Jay Steinle, and Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch . In 1947, after years of drought,

407-678: The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad mainline, and originally built by the South Florida Railroad in the 1880s, runs through the urbanized northern part of the county. CSX has leased the line to the FDOT . Intercity passenger service is provided by Amtrak at Kissimmee station and commuter passenger service is operated by SunRail , with stops at Kissimmee and Poinciana . As of the 2020 United States census , there were 388,656 people, 109,642 households, and 81,168 families residing in

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444-674: The Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project (C&SF Project) Pub. L.   80–858 —known as the Flood Control Act of 1948 —pursuant to § 373.103(2), Florida Statutes . The regional water management system – with nearly 2,000 miles of canals and more than 2,800 miles of levees/berms, 69 pump stations, 645 water control structures, and more than 700 culverts – helps to protect regional water supplies and provide flood control. Weather extremes dramatically affect South Florida's water supply and flood protection actions. In response,

481-571: The Florida Turnpike and US 441 . The project was halted by The Florida Department of Community Affairs after concerns that there would be mass urban sprawl . The area is now a reserve named after the city's planner, Fred DeLuca . If finished, the city would've had an expected population of 250,000. 28°04′N 81°09′W  /  28.06°N 81.15°W  / 28.06; -81.15 South Florida Water Management District The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)

518-675: The United States Army Corps of Engineers stated it hoped to complete the project in 2015. Restoration was eventually completed in July 2021. In all, about 44 miles (71 km) of the Kissimmee River was restored, plus 20,000 acres of wetlands. In 2006, the South Florida Water Management District had acquired enough land along the river and in the upper chain of lakes to complete restoration. A 2009 report from

555-562: The United States Congress authorized the canalization of the Kissimmee River. From 1962 to 1970 the United States Army Corps of Engineers dredged the C-38 Canal down the Kissimmee valley, shortening the 103-mile (166 km) distance from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee to just 56 miles (90 km). It has since been realized that this project damaged the river, with the faster water flow leading to major environmental problems in

592-438: The county seat . In 1844, Brevard County was carved out from Mosquito County. When Florida became a state in 1845, Mosquito County was renamed Orange County . On May 12, 1887, Osceola was named a county, having been created from both Orange and Brevard Counties. Osceola County reached all the way down to Lake Okeechobee until 1917 when Okeechobee County was formed. Since the late 20th century, Osceola County has experienced

629-536: The Buenaventura Library opened. In 1991, volunteers helped open the Kenansville Branch Library in a shared space with the old Kenansville school. During the 2004 hurricanes, the collection was a total loss. It was rebuilt in 2007 with a larger collection, including books, DVDs, and computer/wifi access. Back in 2009, there were plans to create a new city named Destiny near the intersection of

666-447: The Corps of Engineers went into detail with the issues and plans for the Kissimmee River restoration. The restoration project was completed on July 29, 2021. It restored 40 miles (64.3 km) of river and almost 25,000 acres of wetlands. Lake Kissimmee is expected to rise one and a half feet, restoring water sequestration functions and easing seasonal droughts. Already, wildlife is returning to

703-553: The County Commission is responsible for funding the budgets of all Osceola County Government, including the independently elected Constitutional Officers and Judicial Officers, as well as the Commission's own departments. Each independent officer has discretion to administer his or her own programs. The County Commission exercises oversight only over its own departments. Osceola County has five electoral districts each represented by

740-466: The District actively operates and maintains the water management system promotes water conservation, and works with communities to develop alternative water supplies. The South Florida Water Management District manages many programs, including a controversial water farming program, which results in minimal returns for taxpayers and would be much cheaper on state-owned land. Many of the lands protected by

777-477: The Hart Memorial Library was donated by a widow of a former Florida Governor, Carrie S. Hart. It was located on North Stewart Avenue in Kissimmee . In 1914, women pooled money together from themselves and other community members to build the actual building and Annie Palmer Fell, another widow of a prominent Florida man, donated furnishings and books from her personal collection to begin building inventory in

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814-509: The Kissimmee Valley and Lake Okeechobee. Efforts are currently underway to reverse the process and re-introduce the many oxbows in the river that slowed the water. After the river channel was straightened , 40,000 acres (160 km) of floodplain below Lake Kissimmee dried out, reducing the quality of waterfowl habitat by ninety percent, and the number of herons , egrets and wood storks by two-thirds. Catches of largemouth bass in

851-515: The Lake Okeechobee watershed (southwest). The floodplain of the river supports a diverse community of waterfowl , wading birds , fish , and other wildlife. The 1947 Atlantic hurricane season , which included the 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane and the 1947 October Hurricane , produced very heavy rainfall and flooding over most of central and southern Florida . Florida requested federal assistance in controlling future floods, and in 1954

888-473: The charter does not depart dramatically from the structure of a County government outlined in the Florida Statutes . Osceola County Government is governed by three sets of elected officials , each of which independently directs separate branches of County Government. These include: the five-member County Commission, five separate Constitutional Officers, and a number of Judicial Officers. Under State law,

925-540: The county was $ 52,279. The per capita income for the county was $ 22,196. About 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.00% of those under age 18 and 10.00% of those age 65 or over. The School District of Osceola County, Florida serves the county. The county is home to 59 schools, not including colleges. There are currently six branches of the Osceola County Library System: The Hart Memorial Library

962-471: The county. The population density was 292 inhabitants per square mile (113/km ). There were 162,661 housing units at an average density of 122 per square mile (47/km ). The majority of Hispanics/Latinos in the county are Puerto Ricans, who account for an estimated 33.7% of the population and are the largest ancestral group in the county. 38.2% of the county population is affiliated with a religious congregation. There are 206 or more religious congregations in

999-487: The county. 16.5% are Catholic ; 1.3% are Mormons ; 3.5% are Baptist , 3.7% are Pentecostal , 1.4% are Methodist , 8.3% are members of other Christian faiths, 0.1% are Jewish , 0.2% affiliate with an eastern faith, and 3.2% affiliate with Islam . There were 111,539 households, 57% were married couples living together, 23% had a female householder with no spouse present, 7% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 13% were non-families. The average household size

1036-453: The new library. In 1968, the location moved to a 4,000 square foot building on Broadway and Dakin. Hart Memorial Library is the Osceola headquarters and is now located in a 43,000 square building . Veteran's Memorial Library was at first a reading room until enough funds were raised to build the first official location on Massachusetts Avenue in Saint Cloud. In the early 70's the location moved to

1073-568: The next year and continued over 20 years as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the massive flood control plumbing system stretching from just south of Orlando to Florida Bay. In 1949, the Florida Legislature created the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control District, the predecessor to the South Florida Water Management District, to manage the C&SF Project. In 1972, with the Florida Water Resources Act (Chapter 373),

1110-500: The plot of the tenth Xanth novel, Vale of the Vole , around the straightening of the "Kiss-Mee River," an obvious parody to "Kissimmee." The river was mentioned in a lyric of Josh Turner 's song "Alligator Stroll". Efforts to restore the Kissimmee River to its original flow were approved by Congress in 1992, and began with modification to the headwater lakes in 1997. The project was initially estimated to be completed by 2011, but in 2010

1147-410: The restored sections of river. When flooding began again, muck and smothering aquatic weeds were flushed out. Sandbars reemerged. Encroaching dry land trees began dying back. Once-dormant plants began to reestablish themselves. The species included pink-tipped smartweed, horsetail, sedges, rushes, arrowhead, duck potato and pickerel weed. Flooding and continuous flow increased levels of dissolved oxygen in

Kissimmee River - Misplaced Pages Continue

1184-412: The river were consistently worse after the channelization. While the Kissimmee was not a significant source of pollution for Lake Okeechobee before channelization, in the 1970s and later the river contributed about 25% of the nitrogen and 20% of the phosphorus flowing into the lake. In protest to the canalization of the river and its resultant damage to the habitat, Florida author Piers Anthony based

1221-492: The state created five water management districts , with expanded responsibilities for regional water resource management and environmental protection. In 1976, voters approved a constitutional amendment giving the districts the authority to levy property taxes to help fund these activities. The boundaries of all five of the state's water management districts are determined by watersheds and other natural, hydrologic, and geographic features. The South Florida Water Management District

1258-454: The state was deluged by rainfall averaging 100 inches along the lower east coast, almost twice the norm. Much of the ground was saturated when two hurricanes hit the state late in the year, and flooding throughout the region was devastating. Florida asked the federal government for a master plan to tame nature's excesses. In 1948, the U.S. Congress adopted legislation creating the Central and Southern Florida (C&SF) Project . Construction began

1295-571: The water, creating near perfect conditions for aquatic invertebrates such as insects, mollusks, works, crayfish and freshwater shrimp. This, in turn, boosted fish populations and it led to a rise in bird and alligator populations. The entire food chain benefitted. This is one reason that the Kissimmee River restoration is considered to be the largest true ecosystem restoration project in the world, attracting ecologists from other states and countries. Osceola County, Florida Osceola County ( / ˌ ɒ s i ˈ oʊ l ə / AH -see- OH -lə )

1332-412: Was 3.4 persons per household. In the county, the population was spread out, with 12% being 0 to 9 years old, 15% 10 to 19, 14% 20 to 29, 15% from 30 to 39, 13% from 40 to 49, 11% 50 to 59, and 19% who were 60 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males. The median income for a household in

1369-669: Was originally 134 miles (216 km) in length, 103 miles (166 km) of which was between Lake Kissimmee and Lake Okeechobee. It forms the headwaters of the Kissimmee River-Lake Okeechobee- Everglades ecosystem . The Kissimmee River watershed of 3,000 square miles (7,800 km) is adjacent to the Eastern Continental Divide , with triple watershed points at the Miami (north) , Withlacoochee (northwest) , and Peace (west) rivers' watersheds and

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