Canal Bridges, Lifts and Locks

See also Waterfront Living ¤ Fishing ¤ Boating

Maps of Cape Coral display all its 400 miles of canals, in addition to the lakes, riverfront, spreaders, and adjacent bays, harbors, inter and intracoastal waterways. With that much water, you know that roads are going to intersect with the canals at some point. Not all maps show you exactly what kinds of crossing you may be dealing with - and that can affect what kind of boating you can enjoy from your waterfront property.

Weirs

Weirs are not marked on all maps but they are vitally important to the value of waterfront property in Cape Coral. Weirs occur under some roadways when they cross a canal. Weirs allows some water to flow, but they do not allow ANY kind of boat access. Good maps mark weirs with a symbol similar to the image at right. If there is a weir between your property and the river or pass, you do not have direct access property.

 Bridges

Other times when a road crosses a waterway, there will be a bridge. There are a few drawbridges to the islands off the coast, but Cape Coral itself doesn't have any. So you don't have to worry about traffic blockage. You do need to concern yourself with the height of the bridge, however.

While the bridges over the river are designed to be high enough for all water traffic to pass beneath, the bridges over canals in Cape Coral are a different story. They are often quite short, especially at high tide. A boat with a high hard top or a raised canopy must be very careful that they can fit underneath.

There are many kinds of boats that have no problem, especially on the freshwater lakes and adjacent canals. In fact, freshwater bass tournaments are held in these waters, and bass boats are perfect for travelling these waterways. Jet skis are popular in the lakes and basins, and bowriders are another popular choice. You can be on direct access and need to pass under a bridge, so it's good to know the height of those bridges when determining if the property will meet your boating expectations.

Locks

Cape Coral enjoys both freshwater and saltwater waterways as well as tidal and non-tidal waters. To prevent saltwater incursion, and to keep interior water levels at good heights, the city employs both locks and boat lifts.

The primary lock connects the Caloosahatchee River to the Spreader waterway, which connects to a great deal of SW Cape Coral's canals, providing Gulf access property deep into the Cape. This lock is located near Cape Harbour. Properties behind the lock are considered Gulf access, but not direct access.

The Intracoastal waterway, which includes the entire Caloosahatchee River, also has locks that enable boats to follow the rise of the land and travel all the way to the east coast of Florida.

Boat Lifts

Boat lifts aren't just for keeping you boat out of the water at home. Cape Coral employs a boat lift which swivels, providing access to Pine Island Sound from the Burnt Store Marina boat ramp for smaller boats. The lift prevents saltwater incursion into the northern canals, but allows access to boaters. Simply register with the City and they will give you a key, which you can use to work the boat lift at any time.