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
Hendry County, Florida Hendry County, Florida Hendry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,140. Its county seat is LaBelle. Hendry County comprises the Clewiston, Fla. Micropolitan Statistical Area. Hendry County was created in 1923. It was named for Captain Francis A. Hendry, a Florida cattle rancher, politician, and officer in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (3.1%) is water. The county borders Lake Okeechobee; the Lake Okeechobee Scenic