MIAMI CANAL
The Miami Canal is, along its middle coursep only partially excavated, and water does not pass through that muck and weed choked part of its channel during normal and drought periods. In fact, the flow in the upper reaches of the Miami Canal is toward the Lake at frequent intervals throughout the year. If this canal were deepened to accomodate diversions from Lake Okeechobee, mineralized ground water would be encountered in its middle and upper reaches similar to that found in the North New River Canal.
Flow in the lower Miami Canal serves during normal periods to help protect the Miami well field from salt contamination, and is in itself a possible source of municipal supply. The minimum discharge (approximately
50 millions of gallons per day) considered sufficient to effectively hold sea water downstream without the use of the recently constructed pneumatic tidal dam is several times the present output of treated water. The minimum unregulated discharge in the Miami Canal during severe drought is not accurately known since retention structures have been in use during these periods as a protection against upstream migration of sea water. The location of the intake for any possible municipal use of canal water would determine the necessity for and location of a tidal gate or barrier to be used during drought flows. Without a barrier the intake would necessarily be placed at or above the farthest migration of salt water which, within the past few years, has been several miles upstream from the water plant.
The composition of water in the lower reaches of the Miami Canal
changes somewhat with discharge, but is generally similar to the composition of) ground water withdrawn from the Miami well field for the municipal supply.