Modernization of Kissimmee Navigation Locks to Begin in Mid-May

The South Florida Water Management District SFWMD will be temporarily closing the navigational locks in Lake Toho S-61@ Southport and Lake Kissimmee S-65 @ SR60 for maintenance work from May 17 through December 31, 2010.

During this six month timeframe, boaters will not be able to travel to and from Lake Toho through the canals linking Lake Cypress, Lake Hatchineha or Lake Kissimmee, nor travel south from Lake Kissimmee via S-65 to the Kissimmee River.

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission staff have stressed the importance of completing the maintenance work before January 1, 2011, as there are two fishing tournaments scheduled on the Chain of Lakes next year: one in January and one in February, and the locks must be open.

SFWMD staff expect to have the lock at Southport S-61 operational on New Year’s Eve. In addition, SFWMD indicated that the project will not have an impact to flood control. The structure gates will be completely accessible throughout the project; nothing should hinder operation of the gates for flood control purposes.

A portion of the official public notice from SFWMD is provided below.

Contacts:

• Bill Graf
  Orlando Service Center
  South Florida Water Management District
  Office: 407 858-6100, ext. 3837 or Cellular: 407 908-4764
• Missie Barletto
  Okeechobee Service Center
  South Florida Water Management District
  Office: 863 462-5260, ext. 3006 or Cellular: 863 634-0774

Orlando, FL - Nearly 50 years after going into service, the navigation locks in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and the Kissimmee River will undergo complete renovation this year. The improvements will modernize the locks and make them suitable for many more decades of safe and reliable service.

Beginning May 17, the South Florida Water Management District SFWMD will temporarily close the S-61, S-65, S-65A and S-65D navigation locks in Lake Tohopekaliga, Lake Kissimmee and the Kissimmee River for complete refurbishment. The work will be completed by December 31, 2010.

Each navigation lock will receive new concrete work, paint, utilities and mechanisms to operate the lock doors. The locks allow boats to navigate around water control structures, providing navigation from the Upper Chain of Lakes to Lake Okeechobee. Their purpose is purely navigational. Closing them will have no effect on water flow or flood protection.

Boaters and outdoor enthusiasts will still be able to access the restored Kissimmee River at various locations, such as the Istokpoga Canal Boat Ramp Area near the border between Highlands and Okeechobee counties. Accessing the river from the Istokpoga Canal, boaters can travel between S-65A and S-65D, which includes about 24 miles of restored river channel and about 14 miles of the channelized Kissimmee River.

The District is placing signs at the locks and at boat ramps throughout the Kissimmee Basin to notify boaters of the planned renovations.

The navigational lock refurbishment work is part of an ongoing effort to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure of the Central and Southern Florida Project, a massive system of flood control works authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1948. Five years ago, the SFWMD established a 50-year operations and maintenance plan to ensure regular, timely maintenance of the aging system.

For more information about the temporary lock closures, please contact the Orlando Service Center at 407 858-6100 or the Okeechobee Service Center at 863 462-5260.

About the South Florida Water Management District

The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state — 16 counties from Orlando to the Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the states five water management districts. The agency mission is to manage and protect water resources of the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply. A key initiative is cleanup and restoration of the Everglades.