What is "charlotte harbor"

Charlotte Harbor may refer to:

• Charlotte Harbor, Florida, a census-designated place in Charlotte County, Florida, United States
• Charlotte Harbor (estuary), a large estuary on the southwest coast of Florida
• Charlotte Harbor (southwest Florida bay), the same estuary as above
  • Charlotte Harbor Light, a former lighthouse in Charlotte Harbor
  • Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park, a Florida State Park composed of islands and land that surround the Charlotte Harbor estuary
• Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway, a former railroad in southwest Florida
  • Charlotte Harbor and Northern Railway Depot, a historic railroad depot in Boca Grande, Florida

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, and includes Charlotte Harbor itself as well as the Peace River, Caloosahatchee River (via Pine Island Sound) and Myakka River basins. It covers , 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 tend to be shallow with minimal tidal action.

This is a threatened ecosystem because of the rapid increase of growth and development, poor land-use policies, and the overuse of natural resources. The Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves, established by the state of Florida in 1975, are five contiguous aquatic preserves within the greater Charlotte Harbor estuary. It includes salt marshes, mangroves, seagrass, oyster and tidal flats. It is the preserve of many species, including the Florida panther, American alligator, West Indian manatee, bald eagle, wood stork, piping plover, American crocodile, green and loggerhead sea turtles, Gulf sturgeon, royal false pawpaw ( Deeringothamnus pulchellus), Florida perforate cladonia ( Cladonia perforata) and many more.

Image:Floridian seagrass bed.jpg|Florida seagrass caretta01.jpg|Loggerhead turtle (closeup) Image:Mangroves.jpg|Coastal mangroves seagrass bed.jpg|Florida seagrass bed

Charlotte Harbor (southwest Florida bay), the second largest bay in Florida is located on the Gulf of Mexico coast of west Florida, mostly (2/3) in Charlotte County, Florida with the remaining 1/3 in Lee County. The area is also identified as the Charlotte Harbor Estuary. The harbor's mouth is located behind Gasparilla Island, one of the many coastal barrier islands on the southwest coast of Florida, with access from the Gulf of Mexico through the Boca Grande Pass between Gasparilla Island on the north and Lacosta Island on the south. Charlotte Harbor covers about 270 sq mi (700 km)

The harbor is fed with fresh water from the Myakka River on its northwest corner and the Peace River on its northeastern corner. Charlotte Harbor is bordered by the communities of Boca Grande, Charlotte Beach, Port Charlotte, Charlotte Harbor, Punta Gorda, Pirate Harbor, and Bokeelia. Charlotte Harbor connects to San Carlos Bay to the south by way of the Pine Island Sound and the Matlacha Pass.