Safety Valve (Biscayne Bay)
| Biscayne Bay | |
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View of Southern Biscayne Bay showing the Downtown Miami skyline in the background, November 2014.
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 Biscayne Bay
Location in Florida
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| Coordinates | 25°33′57″N 80°12′59″W / 25.56583°N 80.21639°WCoordinates: 25°33′57″N 80°12′59″W / 25.56583°N 80.21639°W |
| Ocean/sea sources | Atlantic Ocean |
| Basin countries |
 United States
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| Max. length | 35 miles (56 km) |
| Max. width | 8 miles (13 km) |
| Surface area | 428 square miles (1,110 km2) |
| Settlements |
Miami, Florida Miami Beach, Florida |
| References | |
Biscayne Bay (Bahía Vizcaína in Spanish) is a lagoon that is approximately 35 miles (56 km) long and up to 8 miles (13 km) wide located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida, United States. It is usually divided for purposes of discussion and analysis into three parts: North Bay, Central Bay, and South Bay. Its area is 428 square miles (1,110 km2). The drainage basin covers 938 square miles (2,430 km2).
Discovered by Ponce de Leon, he landed there and was originally named Santa Marta. (ref. Dr. Paul George of Miami College & Miami Historical Society)
The North Bay of the Biscayne Bay lies between Miami Beach barrier island and Miami on the mainland. It has been severely affected over the last century by raw sewage releases, urban runoff, shoreline bulkheading, dredging, the creation of artificial islands and the loss of natural fresh water flow into the bay. However, water quality has steadily improved since regular monitoring began in 1979. North Bay accounts for only 10% of the water area of the bay.
Central Bay is the largest part of the bay. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Safety Valve. It has been adversely affected primarily by bulkheading, urban runoff discharged by canals, and the loss of natural fresh water flow.
South Bay is nearly as large as Central Bay, and is the least affected by human activities, although it also suffers from the loss of natural fresh water flow. South Bay is separated from the Straits of Florida by the northernmost of the Florida Keys, and includes Card Sound and Barnes Sound. It is connected to Florida Bay through a few small channels.
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Wikipedia