|
Prior to 1940, human habitation was sparse within the Kissimmee
River Basin. Following World War II, rapid growth and development
set the stage for extensive property damage when a severe hurricane
struck the area in 1947. The massive flooding sparked public
pressure to develop measures to reduce the threat of potential flood
damage to property. In 1948, Congress authorized the U. S. Army
Corps of Engineers to initiate construction of the Central and
Southern Florida Project for Flood control and protection. Starting
in 1962, the Kissimmee River was channelized and transformed into a
series of water reservoirs. |
| The
original Kissimmee River stretched from Orlando southward to Lake
Okeechobee in central Florida. The river moved slowly, meandering
for approximately 103 miles within a one or two mile wide floodplain
and supported about 35,000 acres of wetlands. |
| The
effects of the channelization of the Kissimmee River resulted in
shortages of clean water at critical times, eliminated 35 miles of
meandering river channel along with 6200 acres of floodplain
wetlands, and altered the hydrologic characteristics of the
surrounding area. |
 |
In response to public concerns,
the U. S. Army Corps of
Engineers and the
South Florida
Water Management District have joined forces to restore
the ecosystem with a program that covers a 9000 square mile
area that includes the Kissimmee River Basin, Lake
Okeechobee, the Everglades, Big Cypress Swamp and the
Estuaries of Florida Bay, Biscayne Bay and the Ten Thousand
Islands. |
 |
|
 International
Technologies Corporation ( IT ) was contracted to head
up the first phase of this massive restoration project.
They have approximately 60 pieces of earth moving equipment
onsite and are moving an average of 50,000 cubic yards of
material back into the 30 foot deep, 300 foot wide canal
that is the present day Kissimmee River. |
|
| The
canal system has a number of water control structures and
navigational locks which were constructed at various locations along
the river. A select few of these structures, made of concrete and
steel must be removed in order to restore the wetland to it's
original state. IT Corporation feels that blasting is the best
means of removing these structures and has contracted Dykon to shoot
the first set of structures on this ongoing restoration project. |
| The
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved the blasting plan
prepared jointly by Dykon and IT Corporation and Structure 65B near
Lorida, Florida is being prepared for explosive demolition.
|
| |
 The
project consists of two separate reinforced concrete
structures that must be blasted. The first structure to be
demolished is the navigational lock that allowed for passage
of river traffic up and down the Kissimmee River. The steel
miter gates and the control buildings were removed
conventionally. After the lock has been blasted, it will be
buried beneath the sand and silt of the Kissimmee River. |
|
The second structure to be blasted is a three gated water
control structure and access bridge to the lock system. It
will be demolished in two shots. The first blast will
remove the upper gate structure to just above the service
road deck, leaving access to the lock structure area for as
long as possible. IT Corporation will bury the demolished
lock while the gate structure is being prepared for
blasting. |
|
 |
Part of the process to prepare the two structures for
demolishing is to remove the steel miter gates from the lock
structure and the steel spillway gates from the water
control structure. |
 |
|
| |
 |
On Wednesday, June 14,
2000 a test blast was detonated in the lock structure to
verify the accuracy of the load calculations. On June
15, 2000, the entire remaining lock structure was
blasted. |
|
|
The top of the spillway gate
structure had to be removed first in order to access the
supporting columns beneath so that the holes could be
drilled for the charges. The top of the structure was
blasted off on Monday, June 19, 2000. Click on the
image to see bigger pictures and a video clip of the
blast. |
 |
|
 |
On Wednesday, June 21, 2000, the service road and
underwater support columns for the spillway structure were
blasted. This was the last blast for this set of
structures. |
|
| |
 |
Roll Credits:
Pictured left is a
thumbnail image of those who are spearheading the
restoration of the Kissimmee River. Click on the image to
learn more. |
|
