Okeechobee Waterway of Orlando and extending southward through the Kissimmee River Basin to the Everglades National Park to Florida Bay. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages five locks and dams along the Okeechobee Waterway. The St. Lucie lock was built in 1941 for navigation and flood-control purposes. In 1944, the connecting spillway structure was built for flood and regulatory flow control through the St. Lucie Canal to manage the water level in Lake Okeechobee. The Port Mayaca Lock and Dam was built in 1977 for navigation purposes, to permit the raising of water levels in Lake Okeechobee, and to moderate the
Okeechobee County, Florida Okeechobee County, Florida Okeechobee County () is a county located in the state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,996. The county seat is Okeechobee. Okeechobee County comprises the Okeechobee, FL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Port St. Lucie, FL Combined Statistical Area. Okeechobee County was incorporated in 1917. It was named for Lake Okeechobee, which was itself named for the Hitchiti words "oka" (water) and "chobi" (big). Historic buildings in Okeechobee County include: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land