Floating Through Old Florida.
The Okeechobee Waterway is a pleasant and unusual trip for boaters through the heart of Old Florida
. This peaceful waterway goes through miles of untouched Florida Everglades and thousands of acres of Old Florida scrub and ranchland. It is the only navigable cross Florida canal.
How much does it cost to cross the Okeechobee Waterway?
There are
no transit fees
crossing the Okeechobee Waterway. Since it is open to vessel traffic year round, normal lock operating times are restricted to 12 hours a day. The waterway’s controlling channel depth is normally 6.44 feet.
How long does it take to cross Florida by boat?
A fast boat averaging 20 knots can complete the crossing in
about eight hours
. A trawler or sailboat would take around 20 hours at 7 knots, making for a leisurely trip with two nights spent on the waterway in the process.
Can you boat from lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee?
Boaters planning to travel from Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee are encouraged to call ahead for navigation information
. Both the Orlando and Okeechobee Service Centers can provide daily water level and navigation information. The Okeechobee Service Center can be reached at (863) 462-5260 or (800) 250-4200.
Where is the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida?
The Intracoastal runs
along the eastern shore of Cayo Costa before heading inland at Boca Grande Pass
, “Tarpon Capital of the World.” Boca Grande, with its quaint small town main street, tree canopied roads and white clapboard houses, is on the northern end of Gasparilla Island.
Can you boat in Lake Okeechobee?
Lake Okeechobee isn’t a small lake, by any means. In fact, it’s the second-largest freshwater lake in the States and is
part of a 152-mile boating passage in the Sunshine State
— giving you plenty of options for swimming, boating and fishing.
Why did they stop the Cross Florida Barge Canal?
Vandenberg challenged the canal, stating that the project never received authorization from Congress. At the time, 13 million cubic yards of material had already been excavated, 5,000 acres of land cleared and four bridge piers constructed near Ocala.
Funds for construction were also exhausted
, so construction stopped.
Who stopped the Cross Florida Barge Canal?
Fifty years after
President Richard Nixon
stopped work on the Cross Florida Barge Canal, relics from the project still litter the abandoned route like testaments to the once hailed project to connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
What state is Lake Okeechobee in?
Lake Okeechobee, lake in southeastern
Florida
, U.S., and the third largest freshwater lake wholly within the country (after Lake Michigan and Iliamna Lake, Alaska). The lake lies about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of West Palm Beach at the northern edge of the Everglades.
Is there a canal that cuts across Florida?
The Okeechobee Waterway or Okeechobee Canal
is a relatively shallow artificial waterway in the United States, stretching across Florida from Fort Myers on the west coast to Stuart on Florida’s east coast.
How many locks are on the Okeechobee Waterway?
The Okeechobee Waterway stretches 154 miles from the Atlantic Ocean at Stuart to the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Myers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates these
five
navigation locks on the waterway: S-77, S-78 and S-79, Fort Myers to Moore Haven, Caloosahatchee River. S-80 and S-308, Port Mayaca to Stuart, St.
What is the speed limit in the Okeechobee Waterway?
The portion of the marked Intracoastal Waterway (Okeechobee Waterway) channel in this area is regulated at Idle Speed between November 15 and March 31 and at a maximum speed of
twenty-five (25) mph
for the remainder of the year.
Is the Okeechobee canal open?
Okeechobee Waterway Lock Hours
7 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily
; last lockage begins at 4:30 p.m.
The Okeechobee Waterway is a pleasant and unusual trip for boaters through the heart of Old Florida. This peaceful waterway goes through miles of untouched Florida Everglades and thousands of acres of Old Florida scrub and ranchland.
It is the only navigable cross Florida canal
.
Is Clewiston lock open?
S-310 Boat Lock in Clewiston
Now Open 24 Hours a Day
| South Florida Water Management District.
Are there sharks in the Intracoastal?
Yes, there are sharks in the Intracoastal Waterway in our area
. Fatzinger says although an attack is highly unlikely, swimmers should avoid swimming at dawn and dusk and wearing jewelry.
Is Intracoastal Waterway saltwater?
The Intracoastal Waterway is made of natural inlets,
saltwater rivers
, bays and man-made canals. This waterway is important because it is a way that boats can travel the Atlantic and Gulf coasts while avoiding the hazards of the open ocean.
Is the Florida Intracoastal Waterway man-made?
The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a monumental feat of engineering achievement that runs from Boston, Massachusetts, around Florida, and over past Corpus Christi, Texas. This 3,000 mile inland waterway is made up of natural inlets, saltwater rivers, bays, sounds, and
man-made canals
.
Are there sharks in Lake Okeechobee?
It is not uncommon to see a shark within 10 yards of the shore break anywhere in the state. They are even seen and caught in inshore estuaries, lagoons and rivers.
There has even been a bull shark in Lake Okeechobee
. For many anglers, a popular version of big game fishing is to catch a shark from a beach.
Is there alligators in Lake Okeechobee?
With an estimated population of 12,925 gators, Jesup ranks second to mammoth Lake Okeechobee (28,106) for the number of alligators in a state lake. But while
Okeechobee has more than twice the number of gators as Jesup, it’s also 28 times larger.
Can you swim in Florida freshwater?
Swimming in a Florida lake is generally safe
, but there definitely have been people attacked and killed by alligators in Florida. Alligators are very fond of eating small animals like dogs and cats. Small children should not swim alone or be left unattended on the shore of a large Florida lake.
How deep is a Florida canal?
Florida canals range from a few feet to hundreds of feet wide, and from a few feet to
as deep as 35 feet
.
How deep is the Florida Barge canal?
The canal would be 107 miles long, with five locks. It would have a width of 150 feet and a depth of
12 feet
.
Why are there so many canals in Florida?
Florida has a rich history of agriculture which boomed with the construction of canals that
drained fertile land, controlled seasonal flooding, and provided reliable irrigation
. Farmers can drain water from their farms during the wet season and retrieve stored water during the dry season.
How long is the Cross Florida Barge Canal?
The Cross Florida Greenway is unique in many ways. Occupying more than 70,000 acres of land formerly known as the Cross Florida Barge Canal, the Greenway is a
110-mile
linear park that is more than a mile wide in places.
Was the Florida Barge canal ever built?
This map shows the plans for the Cross Florida Barge Canal, and the portion of the project that was completed before construction was stopped in 1971. Florida Memory.
Construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal resumed in the 1960s
, in an attempt to link the Atlantic Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico.
Where is the Erie canal today?
Today, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor covers 524 miles (843 km) of navigable water
from Lake Champlain to the Capital Region and west to Buffalo
. The area has a population of 2.7 million; about 75% of Central and Western New York’s population lives within 25 miles (40 km) of the Erie Canal.
