Florida’s Big Dig
The story of the Intracoastal and other thoughts on water, waterways, land, and ecology
Month: February 2015
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Reportedly, water hyacinths were introduced into the waters of the St. Johns River and the Ocklawaha River as early as the 1880s. The history of the growth of invasive aquatic plants has paralleled the growth in the use of steamboats in these waters. By the turn of the century, the invasion of these plants interfered…
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From Lawrence, Kansas (PRWEB) September 14, 2009: When a hurricane roars inland, most low-lying coastal states rely on a network of pumps and canals to dissipate the storm surge and protect both lives and property. But add invasive plants and weeds to the mix, and you have a recipe for a disaster. Overgrown vegetation can…
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Since we face heavy traffic every day, the waterways could be integrated with the existing road transport network. This system would greatly benefit the tourists and the locals. The various phases of the project are: 1. Documentation of existing river transport facilities. 2. Proposal for an overall inland waterway network. Suggesting new routes to add…
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The longest canal in France is the Canal du Midi. Here at Languedoc. Note the three canal boats on the left bank. All three are lined up with their bows pointing in the same direction. In the distance, an arch bridge for vehicles of all types. The sidewalk on the right could have been a towpath in…
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This wrought iron pedestrian bridge in London is one of the highest foot bridges with the steepest slope over what looks to be a waterway used for canal boating. In the distance, one can see a canal lock that appears to be in use. The bank on the right is heavily wooded and is probably…
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Designed by acclaimed British bridge designer Thomas Telford, this metal transport aqueduct is 304 meters long and was completed in 1806. Before Telford began designing transport aqueducts in iron, aqueducts were constructed for centuries in brick and mortar. Brick construction, however, was not impervious to water leakage even though similar construction methods were used as…
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Unquestionably the ‘Father’ of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, in 1907 Congressman J. Hampton Moore sponsored a bill to direct the Corps of Engineers to survey the Delaware River in his district for much needed deepening. Bills dealing with such questions were referred to as Rivers and Harbors bills and were passed, generally, every few years…
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Artur F. Wrotnowski, another civil engineer and graduate of West Point, performed the ground survey of the proposed Florida East Coast Canal (Intracoastal Waterway) for acclaimed Chicago railway and inland waterway engineer Elmer Corthell whom the Florida canal company had engaged to render the final survey in 1888. In examining the work that lay ahead,…
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The first dredge used in constructing the Intracoastal Waterway was a crude steel bucket dredge. Each bucket was the size of two average-sized men standing inside. The buckets were attached to a continuous steel chain, powered by steam. First used in the so-called Matanzas-Halifax Cut, the dredge was to join the Matanzas River at St.…
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In 1892, U.S. Senator Duncan U. Fletcher (a strong backer of the Florida canal company) and others attempted to exploit a form of fiber called Ramie. Several Florida canal company officials became increasingly interested when an inventor obtained a patent on a decorticating machine that efficiently stripped useful fiber from the plant, yielding many…
Florida’s Big Dig 