Water gives life Allapattah Flats; fire keeps it healthy. The canal in the photo was dug in the '40s or '50s as part of the effort to dry out Allapattah Flats for ranching and timber harvesting. Note the charred cabbage palm, probably the result of a prescribed burn. Under natural conditions, Lands like this would catch fire and burn regularly, but not so much any more given Allapattah's limited size. Land managers plan on burning 1,000 to 1,500 acres every year to match natural cycles and prevent Allapattah from overgrowing.
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