New Dawn for the Kissimmee River: Orlando to Okeechobee by Kayak A wonderful history of a region on the rebound – Thomas M. Thompson – Tallahassee, Fl
Doug Alderson’s A New Dawn for the Kissimmee River manages to weave geological, social, and natural history into a heart warming and informative story of the renewal Kissimmee River valley of central Florida. As the river once brought prosperity to many who often, in turn, brought peril to the river the river now is on the re-bound. This is an inspirational story of a small expedition who set out to be the first to paddle and hike along this renewed lifeline to the Everglades. This is a must read for those who need a reminder that we, working together, can turn the tide that has often brought such peril to the environment around us.
I worked on the team that planned this expedition and with the people who eventually took this journey. I was able to meet up with them along their trip route and at the end which was special. Also kept up with the video crew, the daily shows, and finally the whole one hour plus TV program, a program that brings into focus what Doug has written in his book. Read the tale of this expedition from the prespective of one who was on it as apart from one who was just a planner was enlightening. Doug brings in local tales and stories of the both the area and the era through which the expedition traveled. Coursing through Doug’s book you can readily see the damage and the efforts to restore this part of Florida. Many view Florida as a vacation spot for sun, beaches, and theme parks but few realized, including unforunately residents, just how fragile Florida is. Efforts over time to market Florida, to develop Florida, and to exploit Florida have all taken thier toll and Doug’s book highlights many of them. A great read and especially good if you can find a DVD of the TV program that went along with this expedition. Doug’s words will really come alive and a reader’s appreciation of the plight and, hopefully, regeneration of Florida heightened. Thanks, Doug, for doing this book.
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A modern-day adventure through the heart of Florida
“From now on, I’ll paddle the Kissimmee beside the ghosts of raucous cowboys, cumbersome paddle wheelers, marching soldiers, and lurking Indians.”–Sandy Huff, author of Paddler’s Guide to the Sunshine State
“Alderson uses his substantial reporting and photography skills to bring us a story of environmental destruction and restoration. I learned a lot about places I’ve visited dozens of times but never fully understood.”–Willie Howard, outdoors editor, Palm Beach Post
The Kissimmee Valley, which includes the Kissimmee chain of lakes and Kissimmee River, covers an area from Orlando to Lake Okeechobee. The headwaters and grand gateway to the Everglades, the area is the domain of the alligator and bald eagle, snail kite and spoonbill, stretching more than 100 miles through central Florida.
Between 1960 and 1971, the Army Corps of Engineers straightened and diverted the river’s flow to control persistent flooding. These alterations shortened the length of the Kissimmee, significantly reduced wildlife populations, and created a lucrative real estate market that further threatened native species. In 1992, Congress acted to restore the river to its original flow.
In the spring of 2007, Doug Alderson joined an expedition down the Kissimmee chain of lakes and the newly restored river. Chronicled nightly on local television, the group witnessed firsthand the recovering bird populations, spotted otters, turtles, alligators, and other wildlife, and revealed to thousands of viewers the hidden beauty of this part of Florida.
In New Dawn for the Kissimmee River, Alderson uses this twelve-day paddling excursion as a thread to explore the history and ecology of the region, while highlighting the most successful restoration project of its kind in the world, the model for the overall Everglades restoration plan.
Doug Alderson, former associate editor of Florida Wildlife magazine and current Florida Paddling Trails Coordinator for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, is the author of Waters Less Traveled and The Ghost Orchid Ghost and Other Tales from the Swamp.
