The Port Mayaca Lock is a navigable
lock and
dam on the
Okeechobee Waterway (
St. Lucie Canal
The St. Lucie Canal, also known as the C-44 Canal or simply C-44, is a man-made canal in Martin County, Florida, connecting Lake Okeechobee to the Indian River Lagoon. The canal was built between 1916 and 1924 to divert floodwaters from the lak ...
), adjacent to
U.S. Route 441
U.S. Route 441 (US 441) is a auxiliary route of U.S. Route 41. It extends from US 41 in Miami, Florida to US 25W in Rocky Top, Tennessee. Between its termini, US 441 travels through the states of Florida, Georgia, North ...
and
U.S. Route 98
U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola and Apalachicola, Florida, and has sinc ...
at Canal Point, in
Martin County,
Florida,
United States.
It is located near
Port Mayaca
Port Mayaca (pronounced ''port my-ak-kuh)'' is a sparsely populated place located in western Martin County, Florida, United States, on the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee.
Named for the Mayaca Tribe, Port Mayaca is centered just south of the Po ...
at latitude 26° 59" 5', longitude -80° 37" 5'.
Port Mayaca Lock is open daily from 7:00am to 5:00pm. New Lock hour as of 1 April 2015.
The total cost of construction was $13.1 million.
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.
American Canal Society Report
Technical information
The lock chamber is wide by long, and deep. The lift distance between the St. Lucie Canal and Lake Okeechobee is normally 1/2 to . The channel width is , and deep.
Radio channel
This lock operates on Marine VHF radio channel 13.
Gallery
Image:Port Mayaca Lock and Dam 02.JPG, Boaters anchored lock wall as the canal-side gates close.
Image:Port Mayaca Lock and Dam 04.JPG, Boater exits as canal-side gates closed behind and Lake Okeechobee lakeside gates opening.
Image:Port Mayaca Lock and Dam - gates - 03.JPG, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer personnel overlooks the closing of the lakeside gates.
Image:Port Mayaca Lock and Dam - view from lake 05.JPG, Canal 59 in the foreground and Control Structure S-191, which controls water flow into Lake Okeechobee.
See also
* List of reservoirs and dams in Florida
References
External links
American Canal Society Report
Dams in Florida
United States Army Corps of Engineers dams
Transport infrastructure completed in 1977
Dams completed in 1977
1977 establishments in Florida
Locks of Florida
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