Water Management District to Close Section of C-24 Canal for Hurricane Erosion Repairs

Boat traffic temporarily halted; Federal funding approved for 75 percent of costs 

The South Florida Water Management District’s nine-member Governing Board approved a resolution Tuesday authorizing an agreement to repair the C-24 canal banks in Port St. Lucie that were damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

Starting on July 1, the District will begin repairing the canal banks from I-95 east to Port St. Lucie Boulevard.  To facilitate the work, the District will temporarily close this canal section to boat traffic.

The work will include removing vegetation and shoaled material; installing gabions, rubble riprap and berm drains; reconstructing a swale; and sodding.

Repairs will be limited to five feet from the outer edge of boat docks to protect the structures from potential damage.

Total cost of the repairs is $2 million, with $1.5 million reimbursable from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Services Emergency Watershed Protection Program. The federal program assists municipalities and governmental agencies in recovery efforts from storm damage.

When complete, the C-24 repairs will restore the canal banks, providing for more efficient canal maintenance and also will create additional canal capacity for water storage and conveyance. Construction is scheduled to be completed by September. 

Click here to visit the South Florida Water Management District’s Web site.

For more information, contact:
Linette Trabulsy
Martin/St. Lucie Service Center
(772) 223-2600 x3605 

About the South Florida Water Management District
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state – 16 counties from Orlando to the Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the state’s five water management districts. The agency mission is to manage and protect water resources of the region by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply. A key initiative is cleanup and restoration of the Everglades.