Structure 61 was the first stop for day three of Expedition: Kissimmee River.
Structure 61 is the lock that leads to the Southport Canal and is one of six that the team will be going through on its trip. The locks were put in place for flood control after several severe hurricanes in the 1940s. Right now there is about a four-foot fluctuation between Lake Toho on one side of the lock and the canal. It takes about 15 minutes to get through the lock.
“Older residents may remember when flood waters would sit in downtown Kissimmee for literally weeks,” said Bill Graf of the South Florida Water Management District. “These structures help alleviate that danger.”
It’s about a three-mile paddle through the canal. Kayaker Dale Allen from The Trust for Public Land describes it as monotonous.
“No shade, very little, less wildlife, by far,” he said.
But upon reaching open waters, that changed, and kayakers were treated to a rare bird sighting. One some hadn’t seen in years.
“Right soon as we came out of the canal, right at the mouth of the lake, Cypress Lake, was a Roseat Spoonbill, just as we came out, kind of curled around and landed right in the marshland to our right,” said Beth Kelso of the Florida Trail Association. “It was perfect.”
Day three ends at Lake Cypress campground. Day 4 will bring a 13-mile kayak trip between Lake Hatchineha and Lake Kissimmee.