| has gloss | eng: Charlotte Harbor Estuary is a natural estuary spanning the west coast of Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs on the Gulf of Mexico and is one of the most productive wetlands in Florida. The estuary has a large watershed, including the Peace River, Caloosahatchee River (via Pine Island Sound) and Myakka River basins and covering 12,653 square kilometers, the second largest open water estuary in the state. It is classified as a bar-built estuary, formed when sandbars build up along the coastline. The sand bars block the waters behind them from the sea. Such estuaries are tend to be shallow with minimal tidal action. |
