What body of water is this?

Question

1. This body of water has all but dissapeared for more then 5 minits and yet in some places is still more then 20 feet deep.

2. Once the source of a valuable conduit of water, today it's but a shell of its former self, purposefully cutoff from its primary outlet.

Answer 1

The Florida Everglades??

Answer 2

Aral Sea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aral_Sea