MOORE HAVEN — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District announces it will temporarily close the Moore Haven Lock along the Okeechobee Waterway in South Florida for repairs Aug. 8 through 15.

The Moore Haven Lock will be closed from Aug. 8 through Aug. 15 for critical repairs on lakeside sector gates. On Aug. 8 and 9, closures will be intermittent, with lockages between dives, while divers inspect gates and prepare the area for dewatering. Full closures will occur from Aug. 10 through Aug. 15, while the upper gates are dewatered and repairs are completed.

“We’ve recently been experiencing intermittent operational impacts due to a mechanical issue on one of our lakeside gates. Our goal is to get in, identify and fix the problem, and reopen the lock as quickly and safely as possible,” said Jeff Fallin, chief of the South Florida Operations Office in Clewiston. “We appreciate our users’ patience and understanding during this important maintenance closure.”

“These brief planned closures for repairs are critically important actions, as emergency repairs usually take longer and are more costly,” said Fallin. “It’s important to maintain our structures, so we can keep the Okeechobee Waterway open for navigation, especially during hurricane season, when boaters may need to find safe harbor.”

The Moore Haven Lock is located on the west side of Lake Okeechobee at the junction of the Caloosahatchee River. It was constructed in 1935 for navigation and flood control purposes. The Moore Haven Lock and Dam is one of five locks located on the 154-mile Okeechobee Waterway, which allows safe passage of vessels from the Atlantic Ocean near Stuart to the Gulf of Mexico at Fort Myers.

A Notice to Navigation has been issued for the temporary closure. For more information on navigation notices concerning the Okeechobee Waterway, visit: https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/NTN/