Corps completes construction ahead
of schedule
Kissimmee River opens to navigation
until May
3 Feb 2010
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces completion of the latest phase of Kissimmee River restoration and the temporary opening of the C-38 waterway to navigation.
Waters are open from structures S-65A through S-65C and will remain open until May. Outdoor recreation enthusiasts can now enjoy several miles of newly restored river, along with multitudes of wading birds and schools of fish!
Corps of Engineers contractors completed restoration work in January – a record-setting year ahead of schedule. Workers backfilled four miles of the C-38, reconnected historic oxbows and re-carved sections of the river that were lost during the 1960s channelization project constructed to reduce area flooding. This latest section of work is located south of the Avon Park Bombing Range Boat Ramp, and connects with a previously backfilled segment of the canal. The Corps has restored thirteen miles of the C-38 (lower basin) to date.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers nears completion on the Lake Istokpoga Boat Park.
This section will be closed to navigation in May as the South Florida Water Management District begins refurbishing navigation locks along the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and Kissimmee River. Nearly 50 years after going into service, the navigation locks will undergo complete renovation, which will last six months. Water managers will shut down, dry out and then completely refurbish the navigation locks in Lake Tohopekaliga, Lake Kissimmee and the Kissimmee River. SFWMD officials planned the maintenance schedule several years ago in conjunction with river restoration work that was recently completed ahead of schedule. SFWMD officials anticipate renovation completion by Nov. 30, 2010.
Another exciting chapter for the Kissimmee River is the Corps is nearing completion of the Lake Istokpoga Boat Park on SFWMD lands near Highway 98 on the Istokpoga Canal. The Corps designed and constructed park features, which include an airboat ramp and a separate, double-boat ramp launch with a floating dock, sheltered and unsheltered picnic tables, bathrooms (no running water, however), walking paths and a parking area. On behalf of the SFWMD, the Corps also expanded the fence line and installed a horse gate on the northeast side of the park to allow equestrian access.
An aerial photo taken in December shows a portion of the Kissimmee River's straight channel and meandering waterway side-by-side. The Corps has filled more than 13 miles of the C38 in the lower basin.
"It's fantastic to see how the area is changing and how years of work are yielding such great recreation opportunities for the public and habitat for wildlife," said Erin Duffy, Corps' resident engineer for the Kissimmee restoration. For the past five years, Duffy has trudged hundreds of miles over Kissimmee construction sites. She recently had an opportunity to take a bird's eye view of the river via helicopter.
"From the air, I could see each of the completed construction phases. It was so exciting to see the way nature is recovering. I could see wading bird populations rebounding and flocks of all kinds of ducks. I saw more gators on the banks of the oxbows than I'd ever seen before. It's shallower there and the eating is better than it's been in a long, long time. Seeing the changes is very rewarding," she said.
Fishermen have told Duffy a few fish tales, but the one that she hears most these days is that the rehabilitation has brought the fish population back in full force, most especially in the backfilled area just north of the S-65C Lock.
"We're getting lots of phone calls from people wanting to know what's going on and if they can get out on the river again. It's great to tell them, "Yes and happy fishing!"
Duffy and fellow Corps' Sebring team members cover projects as far north as the upper Kissimmee Basin (C-37), south to Okeechobee. The small team completes contract administration from award to turnover, and performs site inspections of the work throughout the construction process.
Scientists and outdoor enthusiasts say birds, ducks and fish are returning in droves to the Kissimmee River basin.
The next phase of Kissimmee River Restoration involves dredging about one-million cubic yards of material from the C-37 canal between lakes Hatchineha and Kissimmee over the course of 12 to 24 months. The C-37 dredging project will help maintain the existing level of flood reduction and improve boaters' access to fish camps in two oxbows adjacent to the canal. The enlargement of C-37, from a 70-foot bottom width to a 90-foot bottom width, will help maintain the existing level of flood reduction for the Headwaters Chain of Lakes as authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 1992.
Overall, the Kissimmee Restoration Project is intended to restore over 40 square miles of river and floodplain ecosystem including 43 miles of meandering river channel and 27,000 acres of wetlands. The restoration will provide a more natural fluctuation of water levels in both the upper and lower basins, enhancing marshes around the lakes and re-establishing the river's hydrology. Fish and wildlife habitat in the river's one-to-two-mile-wide floodplain are already benefiting substantially from the project.
The Kissimmee River Restoration Project is a joint partnership between the Corps of Engineers and SFWMD, with the SFWMD having acquired over 102,000 acres of land necessary for the project's implementation.
For more information about restoration on the Kissimmee River, go to www.saj.usace.army.mil.
View the Kissimmee River Restoration project page to learn more.
Note to Media: For high resolution photos and graphics of the Picayune Strand Project, call Nanciann Regalado at 904-334-8954, or Susan Jackson at 904-232-1953 / (cell) 904-704-6870.
Contact for this page:
Nanciann Regalado, USACE
(904) 334-8954
