ST. LUCIE RIVER, Fla. \u2014 Boaters on the St. Lucie River may experience temporary delays starting Tuesday while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers performs maintenance on the automated system at the St. Lucie Lock & Dam, which safeguards manatees.<\/p>\n
The Jacksonville District reminds boaters that lock operations will pause when the Manatee Protection System is offline during work. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize this disrupts planned travel on the waterway and appreciate your patience,\u201d the agency said, adding that the pauses are required to maintain wildlife-safety protocols while the system is offline.<\/p>\n
What boaters should know<\/p>\n
The occasional closures may impact boaters navigating the St. Lucie Lock, an important link between the St. Lucie River and Lake Okeechobee.<\/p>\n
The Corps did not specify the duration of the maintenance closures or provide a schedule for the disruptions. <\/p>\n
Boaters are advised to call ahead before heading out, especially if planning a longer route through the Okeechobee Waterway.<\/p>\n
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