St. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal |
|
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Locks | 2 |
| Maximum height above sea level | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Navigation authority | Canal Authority of Florida |
| History | |
| Principal engineer | Reynolds, Smith and Hills |
| Geography | |
| Start point | North end Indian River |
The St. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal was a large waterway that was planned for the state of Florida. It was meant to be about 35 miles (56 km) long. This canal would have connected the Intracoastal Waterway and the Indian River to the St. Johns River. Most of the canal's path would have been in Volusia County.
What Was the Plan?
People first thought about building this canal way back in the 1850s. The idea came up again in 1909 and in the late 1930s. In 1960, the St. Johns-Indian River Canal Authority was created. This group was in charge of planning the canal.
The canal was designed to be 125 feet (38 meters) wide and 8 feet (2.4 meters) deep. It would have included several important structures:
- Three high bridges for cars and trucks.
- One special bridge called a bascule bridge that could open for boats.
- Two bascule bridges for trains.
- Two locks that were 56 feet (17 meters) wide and 250 feet (76 meters) long. Locks help boats move between different water levels.
- Two dams to control the water flow.
- A pumping station to manage water levels.
Why Was It Needed?
The St. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal was part of a bigger plan. It would have joined with another large project called the Cross Florida Barge Canal. Together, these canals would have created a shipping route right across the Florida peninsula. This route would have connected the Atlantic Ocean on one side to the Gulf of Mexico on the other.
This connection would have made it easier and faster for boats to move goods. It would have saved them from having to travel all the way around Florida.
Why Was It Cancelled?
Construction for the St. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal was supposed to start in 1968. It was hoped the canal would open by 1971. However, the project never began.
There were many delays with the Cross Florida Barge Canal project. This caused the start date for the St. Johns-Indian River canal to be pushed back. One big problem was concern for the environment. People were worried about how the canals would affect nature, especially fish like shad that lay their eggs in the rivers.
Because of these environmental concerns and delays, work on the Cross Florida Barge Canal was stopped. After that, the idea for the St. Johns-Indian River canal was also given up. The Canal Authority, the group planning the canal, was officially closed down in 1973.
