JACKSONVILLE DISTRICT

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Canaveral Lock

Welcome to Canaveral Lock, the largest navigation lock in Florida. Located between Port Canaveral's West turning basin and the Banana River, Canaveral Lock was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1965 to secure safe passage of vessels from the Banana River to Port Canaveral and the Atlantic Ocean. The lock reduces tidal-current velocities in Canaveral Harbor, prevents entry of hurricane tides into the Banana River and prevents salt water intrusion. This lock was built larger than originally planned to allow passage of the Saturn rocket's first stage, used to put Apollo rockets into space.

Facts

Location of Canaveral Harbor: 145 miles south of Jacksonville and 70 miles north of Fort Pierce

Canaveral Harbor history: Created in 1951 by an artificial cut through the barrier beach to provide access to a turning basin in the Banana River, jetties completed in 1954

Lift of lock: Varies by tide stage in Canaveral Harbor and water level in the Banana River. Normal maximum difference in water levels is 3 to 4 feet.

How water level is changed: By releasing water from the ocean side to the Banana River side or vice versa

Lock staff: Five Corps of Engineers personnel

Major commodities through lock: Petroleum, NASA Shuttle booster rockets, commercial fishing vessels

Lock usage: Any vessel with draft up to 12 feet, no charge for lockage. Lockage takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Lock cost: $5.6 million total (includes bridges, roads, barge canal enlargement), cost of lock $2.96 million

Technical Details

Gate type: Sector gate (pie-slice shape), similar to gates on the Okeechobee Waterway Gate size: 23 feet high, 54 feet wide, 54 feet across the end

Gate weight: 47 tons (similar to the weight of 40 cars)

Lock chamber type: Earth walls, stone bottom, stone riprap on walls

Water seal type: Rubber cushion

Gate skin plate thickness: 3/8 inch

Concrete in gate monoliths: 15,000 cubic yards

Concrete slab thickness at bottom of gate: 10 feet, widest point between gates is 184 feet

Canaveral Lock News

Canaveral Lock Construction for Approach Walls Complete
East and west approach wall construction is complete and operations at Canaveral Lock have returned to normal hours. Vessels may lock through between 6 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. daily.

The Canaveral Lock Visitor Viewing Area is open to the public from 7 a.m. until dusk, seven days a week. Teachers and tour groups can call 321-783 -5421 for lock information updates.