Sinkholes Swallow Lake and Doom Wildlife
Two giant sinkholes almost completely drained a lake, leaving dead fish on mud flats and alligators and snapping turtles fighting for their lives.
Scott Lake began draining last week, and the larger of the two sinkholes grew this week to at least 200 feet wide and 15 feet deep, claiming a dock, concrete walkway and chain-link fence.
The 291-acre natural lake is owned by the surrounding homeowners south of Lakeland, 30 miles east of Tampa.
Sinkholes form when groundwater levels drop, leaving crevices in the limestone aquifer.
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