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Okeechobee, FL - With Lake Okeechobee levels at 11.51 feet, the S-193 navigation lock at Taylor Creek in Okeechobee County has returned to weekend operations
. The four other navigation locks on the north shore are still closed and have been since the lake fell below 12 feet in April. These closed locks include:
- Okeechobee County: G-36 structure, Henry Creek.
- Martin County: S-135 structure, J&S Fish Camp.
- Glades County: S-127 structure, Buckhead Ridge.
- Glades County: S-131 structure, Lakeport.
The closure was 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.
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. beginning on Saturday, June 10, 2017. 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.