Port Mayaca Lock and Dam explained

Port Mayaca Lock and Dam
Name Official:Port Mayaca Lock and Dam
Location: Canal Point, Florida, United States
Dam Length:400 feet
Dam Width Base:56 feet
Opening:1977
Cost:$13,100,000

The Port Mayaca Lock is a navigable lock and dam on the Okeechobee Waterway (St. Lucie Canal), adjacent to U.S. Route 441 and U.S. Route 98 at Canal Point, in Martin County, Florida, United States.[1]

It is located near Port Mayaca at latitude 26° 59" 5', longitude -80° 37" 5'.[2]

Port Mayaca Lock is open daily from 7:00am to 5:00pm. New Lock hour as of 1 April 2015.[3]

The total cost of construction was $13.1 million.[3]

Purpose

This structure was created to help raise the water level in the lake, for the purpose of retaining fresh water for agricultural use, city water supply, and for navigation. It also serves for regulating flood control water into the Everglades during hurricane season.[4] When polluted lake water is released into the C-44 St. Lucie Canal, the water carries or can spawn algae blooms that release cyanotoxins that may cause nausea, vomiting, skin rashes, coughing, shortness of breath, and achy limbs and joints. Some suspect that small pets have been killed by this airborne toxin.[5]

Technical information

The lock chamber is 56feet wide by 400feet long, and 14feet deep. The lift distance between the St. Lucie Canal and Lake Okeechobee is normally 1/2 to 2feet. The channel width is 100feet, and 8feet deep.[3]

The lock gates are "sector gates" (pie-slice shaped), and are made of steel. The spillway is ogee-type concrete, with 4 vertical lift gates.[3]

The discharge capacity is 14800cuft/s.[3]

Radio channel

This lock operates on Marine VHF radio channel 13.[3]

See also

External links

26.9845°N -80.6211°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Port Mayaca Lock FL . 2010-08-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060927043148/http://www.americancanals.org/Florida/New%20Port%20Mayaca%20Lock%20FL.pdf . 2006-09-27 .
  2. Web site: Port Mayaca Lock - Florida, United States . Marinas.com . 2010-08-25.
  3. Web site: Archived copy . 2010-08-25 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110725192150/http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Operations/Branches/SFOO/DOCS/FactSheet_PortMayaca.pdf . 2011-07-25 .
  4. http://www.americancanals.org/Florida/New%20Port%20Mayaca%20Lock%20FL.pdf American Canal Society Report
  5. News: Smith . Cheryl . What are Lake Okeechobee discharges? Risks include water pollution and toxic algae blooms . 9 March 2024 . Treasure Coast . 30 October 2023.