Description

This area makes up about 2,264 square miles (5,864 square kilometers) and is entirely in Florida. It is long and narrow (170 miles by 20 miles) and oriented in a northwest-southeast direction along the Atlantic Coast, extending from the shore inland to Lake Okeechobee. The naturally hummocky landscape serves as the headwaters for both the north-flowing St. Johns River and the Everglades (MLRA 156A) to the south. A significant portion of this area is in agriculture due to an expansive water-control system that drains and irrigates. Urban sprawl from major cities on the Atlantic Ridge has encroached on the eastern boundary of this MLRA. However, the area limits urban growth from the east because of a water table that is at or near the surface and its identity as a national treasure. The boundary between MLRAs 156B and 156A is not apparent and is primarily marked by differing soil temperature regimes. MLRA 156B is hyperthermic whereas MLRA 156A is isohyperthermic. The boundary between MLRAs 156B and 155 is distinct. MLRA 155 has a higher, drier landscape that allows for significantly different use and management. Water-control systems have allowed extensive agriculture. Citrus and specialty crops are extensively planted in beds between shallow ditches that are part of the water control system. The major soil resource concerns are wind erosion on exposed soil, maintenance of the content of organic matter and productivity of the soils, and management of soil moisture. Conservation practices on cropland generally include conservation crop rotations, cover crops, nutrient management, pest management, water-control structures, surface drainage systems (field ditches, mains, and laterals), pumping plants, and irrigation water management (including micro, surface, and subsurface irrigation systems). Conservation practices on pasture and rangeland generally include prescribed grazing, brush management, pest management, prescribed burning, and watering facilities.