South Florida - Sunday September 25, 2022: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued the following notice to navigation interests along the Okeechobee Waterway and the Canaveral Harbor"
LOCK OPERATIONS DURING THE STORM
REFERENCE: a. 33 CFR Navigation and Navigable Waters
Notice to Navigation: Notice is given that safe harbor lockages began Sunday September 25 to allow safe passage for vessels before Tropical Storm Ian makes local landfall.
Locks will be open 7 AM to 10 PM supporting vessel safe harbor passage. Lock operations will stop 8 hours prior to landfall, as railroad and drawbridges will be lowered or rotated and locked into a secure position. It's important that all vessels are at their intended destination before bridges are secured and passage across the waterway suspended.
READ the notice on the USACE website HERE: https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Navigation/Notices-to-Navigation/Notice-to-Navigation-2022-09-Okeechobee-Waterway-and-Canaveral-Harbor-Lock-Operations-during-Tropical-Depression-9/
For Lock Operator safety, the locks will:
1. Stop locking vessels or working outdoors if lightning is observed within five miles of the lock, and operations will not resume until lightning has not been seen in the area for 30 minutes.
2. Stop locking vessels when winds exceed 35 MPH.
After a storm, it could be days or weeks before the waterway is reopened, depending on damage to structures and how quickly debris creating navigation hazards can be removed. When locking is resumed, it will be at the site’s normal locking hours: Okeechobee Waterway Locks from 7 AM to 5 PM, Canaveral Harbor Lock 6 AM to 9:30 PM.
For up-to-date Lock information, contact the shift operator at:
* Okeechobee Waterway Locks from 7 AM to 5 PM
* St. Lucie Lock & Dam 772-287-2665
* Port Mayaca Lock & Dam 561-924-2858
* Moore Haven Lock & Dam 863-946-0414
* Ortona Lock & Dam 863-675-0616
* W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam 239-694-5451
* Canaveral Harbor Lock 6 AM to 9:30 PM
* Canaveral Lock 321-783-5421