Lake Hancock (Florida)

Lake Hancock is north of Bartow, Florida in Polk County, Florida. It is ecologically important.

Lake Hancock
Lake Hancock
Lake Hancock
LocationPolk County, Florida
Coordinates27.9708°N 81.8381°W / 27.9708; -81.8381
Primary outflowsPeace River (Florida)
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area4,573 acres (18.51 km2)[1]
Average depth4 ft (1.2 m)
Max. depth16 ft (4.9 m)
Water volume5,113,577,588 US gal (19,356,996.86 m3)[1]
SettlementsBartow, Highland City

Lake

Lake Hancock is located in the Polk Upland area between the Winter Haven Ridge and Lakeland Ridge.[2] As part of the upper Peace River watershed, the lake has ecological importance throughout southwest Florida according to the Southwest Florida Water Management District.[3][4] At 4,573 acres (18.51 km2), it is one of the largest lakes in Polk County; the center of the cities of Bartow, Lakeland, and Winter Haven roughly form an equilateral triangle with sides of 12 miles (19 km) and Lake Hancock forms over 25% of that triangle. The lake is shallow, with an average depth of 4 feet (1.2 m) and a maximum depth of 16 feet (4.9 m).[3]

Flora and fauna

The lake is surrounded by cypress forests, with the understory primarily red maple and black willow.[2] The open areas of the lake are relatively free from native vegetation, although hydrilla can occasionally be an issue and algae is abundant.

There is a substantial American alligator presence along the shoreline feeding on one of the largest colonial wading bird rookeries in central Florida.[2] Although many lakes in Polk County are utilized by sports fishermen, Lake Hancock has not been used for recreational fishing in decades. The dominant fish in the lake are blue tilapia and threadfin shad, and suckermouth catfish.[2]

Settlement history

The first settlements in the area occurred in 1849, when small farms were established in the area as a result of migration from a hurricane in the Tampa Bay area.[5]

The slave settlement of Minatti (meaning "manatee") was established on the south shore of the lake east of Saddle Creek after the First Seminole War.[6][7] Oponay, an Okmulgee Upper Creek allied with Red Stick leader Red McQueen, lived across the lake about two miles away and had peach, corn, potatoes, rice, and other crops worked by his Black slaves in the village.[6] The settlement was destroyed by the end of the Second Seminole War in 1842.[8] The Polk County Sheriff's Office's Burnham-McCall Training Center occupies a site in front of the former settlement site.

References
  1. "Polk County Water Atlas, Lake Hancock". University of South Florida. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
  2. "Lake Hancock Restoration Management Plan" (PDF). University of South Florida. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
  3. "Lake Hancock Lake Level Modification and Outfall Treatment Projects". Southwest Florida Water Management District. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
  4. "Ancient Island". Sierra Club of Florida. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
  5. "Polk County History". Polk County Historical Association. Archived from the original on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2010-09-19.
  6. Mulroy, Kevin (2007). The Seminole Freedmen: A History. Norman: University of Oklahoma. p. 19. ISBN 0806138653.
  7. Bair, Cinnamon (2012-02-14). "Rich History Of Blacks In Area". The Ledger.
  8. "Bartow". Hometown Currency. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
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