| 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 |
TheSt. Johns-Indian River Barge Canal was a plannedcanal in the state ofFlorida, 35.2 miles (56.6 km)[1] in length and linking theIntracoastal Waterway and theIndian River 5 miles (8.0 km) south ofOak Hill[2] with theSt. Johns River, originally intended to be just south ofLake Harney,[3] but later shifted to be nearLake Monroe,[4] with all but three miles of the route withinVolusia County.[2] However, by 1968 the more southerly Lake Harney alignment had returned to favor.[5]
Originally proposed in the 1850s,[6] then again in 1909[7] and in the late 1930s,[8][9] the St. Johns-Indian River Canal Authority was established in 1960.[10] The canal would have been 125 feet (38 m) wide[1] and 8 feet (2.4 m) deep,[11] with three high-level and onebascule highway bridges, two bascule railroad bridges, two locks measuring 56 feet (17 m) by 250 feet (76 m), two navigation dams 56 feet (17 m) wide, and a pumping station.[1]
Combined with theCross Florida Barge Canal, the canal would have provided a shipping route across the Florida peninsula between theAtlantic Ocean and theGulf of Mexico;[12] construction was planned to begin in 1968, with the canal to open in 1971,[11] however construction never began as delays to the Cross Florida Barge Canal project mounted, with the projectedgroundbreaking pushed back first to 1970,[13] then further, with conservation issues dogging the project[14] especially with regard to spawningshad.[2][5]
After the suspension of work on the Cross Florida Barge Canal, the St. Johns-Indian River canal concept was abandoned, and the Canal Authority was dissolved in 1973.[15][16]