The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have reopened spillway gates at three dams along the Caloosahatchee River -- and boaters need to pay attention.
The spillways were opened this week to restore the downstream flow of freshwater, which is necessary to counteract the tides pushing saltwater up the river. If incoming saltwater meets no outgoing freshwater resistance, and the spillways are open, the saltwater will travel too far upstream, which can wreak environmental havoc within the delicate river ecosystem.
The spillways are now open at the Julian Keen Jr. Lock and Dam, the Ortona Lock and Dam, and the W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam. The structures stretch from Moore Haven downriver to just east of Fort Myers.
Army Corps records do not show the locks have been closed to boaters, meaning vessels are passing through the locks, which are a chamber a boat glides into, the water level inside rises or lowers, then the other end of the lock opens, and the boat continues its way up or down the river.
A spillway is the gated section of the dam that controls how much water flows downstream. Same structure, different jobs.
But both moving water and navigating the river during the worst drought in 25 years is not without risk.
The drought has dropped Lake Okeechobee’s water level, which fluctuates throughout the year, enough that lakebed is not just showing but has become parched along the north and northeastern shoreline.
Ecological reasons have kept the Army Corps from releasing much, if any, water from the lake into the Caloosahatchee River through a spillway in Moore Haven, the river’s main source of water.
Water running into the river from its surrounding watershed allows some downriver flow and , in this case, the spillways to open. However, water gauges in the area around the locks show the river’s depth at between six inches and several feet.
The Army Corps has been warning boaters to expect lower-than-normal channel depths between the lock sites.
The shallow river between the dams will behave differently with the spillways open. Channels that were already shallow may shift. Sandbars may appear where boaters did not expect them. Currents may change.
“All boaters are requested to exercise caution while navigating lower-than-normal channel depths, which are expected between lock sites,” the Army Corps said in a press release. “There may be impacts to local docks and marinas.”
Specifically, as the river’s water levels rise and fall, boats tied up at private docks may sit differently in the water. Some shallow marina basins may be impossible to enter or leave.
The Army Corps’ notification did not say why it’s opening the spillways now, where the water is coming from, or how long the releases will last. Calls and texts to the agency were not returned.
Boaters with questions can reach the lock operators directly between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. by clicking here.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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