Locking Requirements for Safety

Safety is the prime consideration when locking any type of vessel through a lock.

The lock operator has full authority over the movement of boats in the lock and its approaches.

Operators must require all passengers to wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket and turn off engines.
 

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ BEFORE LOCKING THROUGH:
Notice to Navigation: 2019-001 Canaveral and Okeechobee Lock Procedures

 

Locking Through SAFELY Pamphlet

Safety in Locking Through Pamphlet    Safety In Locking Through Pamphlet Back Side

W.P. Franklin Lock & Dam

W.P. Franklin LockThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers welcomes you to
W. P. Franklin Lock and Dam, located along the Caloosahatchee River, approximately 33 miles upstream of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The Corps constructed and currently manages five locks along the 152-mile Okeechobee Waterway. W.P. Franklin Lock and Dam were constructed in 1965 for flood control, water control, prevention of salt-water intrusion, and navigation purposes.

 

Facts

Waterway distances: 33.2 miles to Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, 27.9 miles to Ortona Lock

Cost of construction: Approximately $3.8 million

Lockage: Approximately 15,000 vessels lock through annually; of these about 97% are recreational vessels.

Commodities: Approximately 13,000 tons of manufactured goods, equipment, crude materials, food, and petroleum products locked annually.

Lock usage: Operating hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year, unless otherwise noted in the Coast Guard published, "Notice to Mariners." Lockage usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.

Technical Details

Lock chamber: 56 feet wide x 400 feet long x 14 feet

Lift of lock: Sea level to Caloosahatchee River water level. Usually 2 to 3 feet.

Channel width and depth: 90 feet wide x 8 feet deep

Lock chamber type: Concrete

Lock gate type: Welded structural steel sector gates, concrete gate bays

Discharge capacity: 28,900 cfs (cubic feet per second)

Hours of Operation

7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last lockage beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Contact Information

General information: 863-983-8101
SFOO@usace.army.mil
  • Navigation Locks monitor Marine VHF radio channel 13.
  • Bridges monitor channel 9.

To contact lock: 239-694-5451