The W.P. Franklin Lock is closed to traffic until further notice.
A notice of the closing was issued Wednesday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
A spokesman for the Corps at the Jacksonville District office said gates at the lock have been affected by silt, causing opening and closing issues. A maintenance crew is currently trying to clear them.
The lock and dam is part of the Okeechobee Waterway and is located along the Caloosahatchee River, approximately 33 miles upstream of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
Lock facts
Cost of construction: Approximately $3.8 million
Lockage: Approximately 15,000 vessels lock through annually; of these about 97% are recreational vessels.
Commodities: Approximately 13,000 tons of manufactured goods, equipment, crude materials, food, and petroleum products locked annually.
Lock usage: Operating hours 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days a year, unless otherwise noted in the Coast Guard published, "Notice to Mariners." Lockage usually takes 15 to 20 minutes.
Lock chamber: 56 feet wide x 400 feet long x 14 feet
Lift of lock: Sea level to Caloosahatchee River water level. Usually 2 to 3 feet.
Channel width and depth: 90 feet wide x 8 feet deep
Lock chamber type: Concrete
Lock gate type: Welded structural steel sector gates, concrete gate bays
Discharge capacity: 28,900 cfs (cubic feet per second)
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