Saltwater Canal Questions

FLCaneMagnet · New Member Joined: Aug 07, 2008 Posts: 6 Location: SW Cape

Hi - I'm relatively new to the Cape. I recently moved into a house with a saltwater canal in my backyard and I have a few questions. I'm near the intersection of Chiquita and Beach if that should change a response.

1. I don't see an obvious rise and fall of tidal effects in the canal so I assume that I'm either far enough in to be protected or there are locks somewhere regulating the flow?

2. As I'm finishing my storm plans, do I need to be concerned about storm surge or high waves from the canal during a tropical event? How did the canal system behave when Charley came through?

3. Is there any danger of the canal going over the seawall just from regular, non-tropical storms? In the year that I've been here, I've only seen it rise maybe a foot or so from several/many days of constant rain.

Thank you!

bob · Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 8:53 pm Post subject: Re: Saltwater Canal Questions

Hi and welcome! My Dad has lived on a direct access canal at Pelican Blvd and 52nd St for 32 yrs and I have lived in the Cape since 1983. His normal tide is usually less than a foot. Your location being further from the Gulf and river would produce even lower tides. You can tell the tide level by looking at the barnicles that are exposed on the seawall. In the winter, water levels in the canals drop. Any SW wind will force water from the Gulf up into the canal system. Tropical storms passing to our north will push water into the canals. Storms to our south will push the water out.
No need to fear high waves in the canals but any storm surge will cause the water to rise. Charley was a compact fast moving storm. As such, it's storm surge was minimal and the canal levels only slightly rose.
Water will occasionally cover docks and less frequently go over the seawall. In my 25 yrs here, the storm that brought the canal level the highest was the "No Name" storm in the mid 1980's. It was a March storm that rapidly formed over the Gulf and moved in overnight. At worst, I have seen the canals rise over the seawall onto the grassey area about 2-3 feet.
Nowhere near swimming pools or patios.
Again , the worst case for us is a major hurricane making landfall just to our north ala Charley that is slow moving allowing the storm to push the Gulf waters up the Caloossahatte and into the canals.

bob

By the way, where are you from?
_________________
Sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

FLCaneMagnet · New Member Joined: Aug 07, 2008 Posts: 6 Location: SW Cape

Thank you for your quick response and excellent content! I was excited to see this capeweather website up and running - this was my first post, you were my first response - and I'm impressed!

I'm originally from WI - moved to St. Cloud in 2002 but then Charley decided to make a 200 yr old oak tree an indoor plant in our house. We took that opportunity to wander around the state looking for a better city to call home; apparently Mother Nature took the opportunity to teach this WI boy all about hurricanes, too! We somehow managed to position ourselves to take direct hits from almost every hurricane to come through the state from Charley on, thus my handle of hurricane magnet.

We rented a vacation home for a weekend here in Cape Coral last year and never left. We're in love with the community, the saltwater canal in the backyard, and the unbelievable sunsets. I think we're here to stay.