Glades County’s Lakeport Locks on Lake Okeechobee closed for summer …or longer

 PRESS RELEASE from South Florida Water Management District  

“Three Navigation Locks on Lake Okeechobee to Close for Repairs

  Eight-month overhaul planned for Henry Creek, J&S Fish Camp and Lakeport locks

   

 

Okeechobee, FL   

 — The G-36, S-135 and S-131 navigation locks on Lake Okeechobee at Henry Creek, J&S Fish Camp and Lakeport are being taken out of service for major overhauls that could take up to eight months. The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is completely refurbishing the locks, including repairs to the hydraulic lift mechanisms on the navigation lock gates.

The S-131 navigation lock at Lakeport was taken out of service earlier this week. Work on the G-36 lock at Henry Creek and the S-135 lock at J&S Fish Camp will begin at later dates. Refurbishment of all three locks is scheduled to be completed by late December 2010. The South Florida Water Management District appreciates the public’s patience during these activities. For more information about the lock closures or general information about the District, please contact the Okeechobee Service Center at (863) 462-5260.”   

 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.”     

 

   

     

    

    

CONTACT:Missie Barletto Okeechobee Service Center           South Florida Water Management District      Office: (863) 462-5260, ext. 3006 or Cellular: (863) 634-0774

www.sfwmd.gov/news

Hiking Florida Wilderness Good for Health and Happiness

There were twelve of us undaunted souls who met up at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 10^th to hike the trails at Platt Branch Mitigation Park in Venus, Florida. I say undaunted because there’s a certain amount of determination and strength of character that we possess to hike six miles into Florida forests, willing to push ourselves out of a comfortable bed and spend a day moving our limbs. The trails at Platt’s Branch were primarily deep sand and reminded some of us of walking on the Florida beaches. The sand I welcomed knowing it was good for sculpting leg and abdomen muscles, important exercise, as I get older to fight off arthritis or osteoporosis, high blood pressure and obesity. I wish I could describe all the various beautiful and extraordinary plants and trees at Platt’s Branch but it’s not my forte, as I can never remember the names. We were fortunate to have a professor of biology on the trek that identified various species. I am lifted in my spirits when I am surrounded by nature so the hikes are essential for me to combat my cyclical loneliness and depression. Only when I am out in the forests do I forget the hardships of my life. Also, the joy of being with articulate and thoughtful people who enjoy discovering all the beauty God has bestowed upon this world offers me hope that friendships can form with like-minded nature lovers. Most of us hiking are members of the newly established Fisheating Creek Sub Chapter of the Florida Trail Association and we hail from Labelle, Clewiston, Lake Placid, Venus and Lakeport. Some others came from as far away as Miami, West Palm Beach and Punta Gorda, looking for a new adventure in the wilds.

David Denham points out a gopher tortoise hole to FTA hikers

I feel so fortunate to be apart of these amazing experiences, not to be alone in my walking in the woods, but to enjoy meeting very interesting men and women. I hope you, too, dear reader, will join us some day. It is a healthy and happy way to escape!

Dogs tortured in Glades County

If you love dogs this is a must read…

“I hope I have located an agency that can help me help defenseless animals near my home. I have contacted Glades County Animal Control several times about my neighbor. His dogs (hunting) were removed once for 3 days until he built a structure to house them. These animals are living in a pen with a concrete floor and a make shift roof. They are also chained up inside this structure with towing chains.  Approximately 3 weeks ago, one of the animals died after a brutal beating…”

to read more go to Newzap.com.

FISHEATING CREEK SUB CHAPTER INVITES YOU TO HIKE

Come join the fun on a wilderness hike Saturday April 10th

Enjoy the wilderness hike on April 10th at the beautiful Platt Branch Mitigation Park in Venus hosted by the Fisheating Creek Sub Chapter of the Florida Trail Association (FTA). FTA members will start the hike at 8 a.m. The public is invited to participate. Bring water and your snacks or lunch. The hike is approximately 7 miles round trip but you can hike at your own pace (and length). Platt’s Branch is located on Detjens Dairy Road (CR 17) off of U.S.27 on the Glades/Highlands County line. For more information you can call Susan Etchey at 863-946-1626. The hike leader is David Denham at DDenham@mercymiami.org.

Here is a description of the park from the Florida Wildlife Commission’s website at http://myfwc.com/RECREATION/WMASites_PlattBranch_index.htm

“Platt Branch lies east of the Fisheating Creek floodplain and at the southern end of the Lake Wales Ridge. The 1,972-acre area is named for Platt Branch, a creek that flows through the site. The area was established through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Mitigation Park Program. Management of the longleaf pine, cutthroat grass, slash pine, and scrub habitats is specifically tailored to benefit protected species such as the gopher tortoise, Florida scrub-jay and red-cockaded woodpecker.

Now the domain of hikers and wildlife watchers, the area still bears witness to previous land uses over the last century. The timber and turpentine industries left their marks here in the 1920s and 1930s. Several old sand roads and small clearings mark the site of a temporary settlement documented from the early 1940s. Cattle once roamed freely across the landscape and later grazed in fenced clearings created for pasture. Today, some of these clearings are being restored with native plants to create scrub-jay habitat or pine flatwoods. A loop trail takes visitors through a mosaic of habitats with ample opportunities to spot wildlife.”