St. Lucie Canal

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "St. Lucie Canal" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (October 2015)

St. Lucie Canal
The St. Lucie Canal as seen from US 98 looking east
Location	Martin County, Florida
Country	United States
Coordinates	27°02′22″N 80°23′00″W / 27.0394°N 80.3832°W / 27.0394; -80.3832
Specifications
Length	26 miles (42 km)
Locks	2
Total rise	11–12.5 feet (3.4–3.8 m)
Navigation authority	U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
History
Construction began	1916
Date completed	1924
Geography
Start point	Lake Okeechobee
End point	Indian River Lagoon
Route map Legend St. Lucie River to Indian River Lagoon SR 714 Southwest Martin Highway South Branch St. Lucie River I-95 Florida's Turnpike St. Lucie Lock and Dam CR 76A SR 710 Auburndale Subdivision (CSX) K Branch (SCXF) US 98 Port Mayaca Lock and Dam Lake Okeechobee Okeechobee Waterway to San Carlos Bay This diagram: view talk edit

The St. Lucie Canal, also known as the C-44 Canal or simply C-44, is a man-made canal in Martin County, Florida, connecting Lake Okeechobee to the Indian River Lagoon. The canal was built between 1916 and 1924 to divert floodwaters from the lake into the St. Lucie Estuary via the South Fork of the St. Lucie River. Deepened in 1937 to enable the passage of boats, the St. Lucie Canal is now the eastern segment of the Okeechobee Waterway.^[1]

The C-44 has been a source of contention since its construction.^[1] The canal has had significant environmental impacts—restoration projects in the St. Lucie River are the northernmost component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.^[2]