Okeechobee Waterway

St. Lucie Lock and Dam on the Okeechobee Waterway, approximately 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Stuart, Florida

Ortona Lock and Dam on the Caloosahatchee River, part of the Okeechobee Waterway, in Glades County, Florida

The Okeechobee Waterway is a man-made waterway stretching across Florida from Fort Myers on the west coast to Stuart on the east coast of Florida. The waterway runs through Lake Okeechobee and consists of the Caloosahatchee River to the west of the lake and the St. Lucie Canal east of the lake.^[1]

A map of the Okeechobee Waterway can be found here: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Portals/44/docs/Operations/owwmap%20revised%20hyperlinks.pdf

History

It was built/finished in 1937 to provide a water route across Florida, allowing boats to pass east–west across the state rather than traveling the long route around the southern end of the state.

Management

Lake Okeechobee and the Okeechobee Waterway Project is part of the complex water management system known as the Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project. The projects cover 16,000 square miles starting just south of Orlando and extending southward through the Kissimmee River Basin to the Everglades National Park to Florida Bay.^[2]

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages 5 locks and dams along the Okeechobee Waterway.

St. Lucie Lock and Dam

The St. Lucie lock was built in 1941 for navigation and flood control purposes. In 1944, the connecting spillway structure was built for flood and regulatory flow control through the St. Lucie Canal to manage the water level in Lake Okeechobee.^[3]

Port Mayaca Lock and Dam

The Port Mayaca Lock was built in 1977 for navigation purposes, to permit the raising of water levels in Lake Okeechobee, and to moderate the effects of higher lake stages along the St. Lucie Canal (C-44).^[4]

Ortona Lock and Dam

The Ortona Lock and Dam were constructed in 1937 for navigation purposes.^[5]

Moore Haven Lock and Dam

The Moore Haven Lock and Dam were constructed in 1935 for navigation and flood control purposes.^[6]

W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam

The W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam were constructed in 1965 for flood control, water control, prevention of salt-water intrusion, and navigation purposes.^[7]

References

External links

Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation

HAER No. FL-18, "Moore Haven Lock, Cross-State Canal, Okeechobee Intracoastal Waterway, Moore Haven, Glades County, FL"
HAER No. FL-18-A, "Moore Haven Lock, Hurricane Gate No. 1"
HAER No. FL-18-B, "Moore Haven Lock, Lock Control House"
HAER No. FL-18-C, "Moore Haven Lock, Lock Tender's House/Office"
HAER No. FL-18-D, "Moore Haven Lock, Lock Tender's House"
HAER No. FL-18-E, "Moore Haven Lock, Warehouse"
HAER No. FL-18-F, "Moore Haven Lock, Generator House"
HAER No. FL-18-G, "Moore Haven Lock, Fire Pump House"
HAER No. FL-18-H, "Moore Haven Lock, Garage"
HAER No. FL-18-I, "Moore Haven Lock, Spillway"
HAER No. FL-19, "Ortona Lock, Caloosahatchee River, Cross-State Canal, Okeechobee Intracoastal Waterway, Ortona, Glades County, FL"
HAER No. FL-19-A, "Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2"
HAER No. FL-19-B, "Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Machinery and Control Houses"
HAER No. FL-19-C, "Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Lock Tender's House"
HAER No. FL-19-D, "Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Power House"
HAER No. FL-19-E, "Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Water Treatment Plant"
HAER No. FL-19-F, "Ortona Lock, Lock No. 2, Fire Pump House"
HAER No. FL-20, "St. Lucie Canal, St. Lucie, Cross State Canal, Okeechobee Intracoastal Waterway, Stuart vicinity, Martin County, FL"
HAER No. FL-20-A, "St. Lucie Canal, St. Lucie Lock No. 1"
HAER No. FL-20-A-1, "St. Lucie Canal, Lock No. 1, Control Station"
HAER No. FL-20-A-2, "St. Lucie Canal, Lock No. 1, Machinery Houses"
HAER No. FL-20-A-3, "St. Lucie Canal, Lock No. 1, Hydroelectric Power House"
HAER No. FL-20-A-4, "St. Lucie Canal, Lock No. 1, Attendant's Quarters"
HAER No. FL-20-A-5, "St. Lucie Canal, Lock No. 1, Attendant's Quarters"
HAER No. FL-20-B, "St. Lucie Canal, Lock No. 2"
HAER No. FL-20-B-1, "St. Lucie Canal, Lock No. 2, Dredge Bypass"
HAER No. FL-20-B-2, "St. Lucie Canal, Lock No. 2, Control House"
HAER No. FL-21, "Cross-State Canal, Lake Okeechobee vicinity, Glades County, FL"

Significant waterways of Florida

Larger rivers	Alapaha Apalachicola Aucilla Blackwater Caloosahatchee Chattahoochee Chipola Choctawhatchee Econlockhatchee Escambia Hillsborough Indian River Kissimmee Myakka Ochlockonee Ocklawaha Pea Peace Perdido Santa Fe St. Johns St. Marys Suwannee Withlacoochee (North) Withlacoochee (South) Yellow

Lakes	Apopka Crescent Blue Cypress East Tohopekaliga George Harney Harris Iamonia Istokpoga Jackson Jesup Kissimmee Miccosukee Monroe Okeechobee Poinsett Rodman Rousseau Seminole Talquin Tohopekaliga Tsala Apopka Washington Weir

Smaller rivers	Alafia Alapahoochee Anclote Banana River Braden Carrabelle Chassahowitzka Crooked Crystal Dead East East Bay Eau Gallie Econfina Estero Homosassa Hontoon Dead Ichetucknee Imperial Little (Biscayne Bay) Little (Ochlockonee) Little Econlockhatchee Little Manatee Little Wekiva Loxahatchee Manatee Matanzas Miami Mosquito Lagoon New (Broward) New (Carabelle) New (Santa Fe) Oleta Orange Pithlachascotee Rainbow Ribault Shark Silver Sopchoppy St. Lucie St. Marks St. Sebastian Steinhatchee Tomoka Trout Waccasassa Wacissa Wakulla Weeki Wachee Wekiva

Creeks and streams	Billy Black Blackwater (Hillsborough) Blackwater (Lake) Crane Cross Econfina Fisheating Myakkahatchee Orange Pottsburg Shingle Snapper Turkey

Canals	Canaveral Barge Canal Cross Florida Barge Canal Haulover Canal Hillsboro Canal Miami Canal Mud Lake Canal St. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal Tamiami Canal Tampa Bypass Canal

See also	Coastal waters of Florida Everglades Intracoastal Waterway Indian River Lagoon List of Florida rivers List of major springs in Florida Okeechobee Waterway Outstanding Florida Waters

Coordinates: 26°48′22″N 81°06′46″W / 26.80611°N 81.11278°W / 26.80611; -81.11278

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