| 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. | |
