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West Palm Beach, FL
- If Lake Okeechobee levels fall below 11 feet, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will close the S-193 navigation lock at Taylor Creek in Okeechobee County for safety reasons
. The four other navigation locks on the north shore have been closed since the lake fell below 12 feet in April, while S-193 has been operating on a weekend only basis.
The imminent closure is a result of drought conditions that have reduced water levels in Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee Basin. Injury and lock damage could occur when boats pass through these structures at water levels below any of the designated safety limits.
Today, the water level in Lake Okeechobee is 11.16 feet:
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OPEN WEEKENDS ONLY - Okeechobee County: S-193 structure, Taylor Creek.
- CLOSED - Martin County: S-135 structure, J&S Fish Camp.
- CLOSED - Okeechobee County: G-36 structure, Henry Creek
- CLOSED - Glades County: S-127 structure, Buckhead Ridge.
- CLOSED - Glades County: S-131 structure, Lakeport.
The S-193 lock at Taylor Creek in Okeechobee County will return to
operations on Saturdays and Sundays between 5:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m when the lake returns to 11.51 feet. All other locks will reopen when the lake returns to 12.51 feet.
On the south shore, the S-310 lock at Clewiston in Hendry County will remain open even as low lake levels continue. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the locks leading from the lake to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.
