The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville District is urging boaters on Lake Okeechobee to use caution as a result of falling water levels impacting navigation routes.
The Corps issued a Notice to Navigation yesterday (July 15), advising commercial and recreational vessels to use extreme caution while traveling Okeechobee Waterway Route 2 between Port Mayaca and Clewiston. Route 2 runs along the southern edge of the lake through Pahokee, Belle Glade, South Bay, and Clewiston. Officials are also asking boaters to use caution in the waterway between Clewiston and Moore Haven as temporary dams associated with rehabilitation work on the Herbert Hoover Dike have created a narrow channel at multiple locations.
“We are asking boaters to be mindful of the shallow water and the potential for submerged objects when traveling through the area,” said Carl Williams with the Corps’ South Florida Operations Office in Clewiston.
Today’s lake elevation is 11.99 feet, which means the navigational depth along Route 2 is estimated at 4.1 feet. The navigational depth along Route 1, which is a direct route across the lake, is estimated at 5.9 feet.
For more information on navigation notices concerning the Okeechobee Waterway, please visit the following website:
http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Navigation/NoticestoNavigation.aspx
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Release no. 15-069