Litterbugs temporarily close Haulover Canal access points in Brevard

Canal named for spot where Indians hauled by hand between lagoons

Image from Florida Today.

MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – There's so much trash along Haulover Canal that federal refuge officials are closing two shoreline access points temporarily to clean it all up.

The northwest corner of Haulover Canal will close today (Monday, Feb. 6), and the southeast corner of the canal will close Friday, Feb. 10. Both will reopen later in the day on Saturday, Feb. 11, News 6 partner Florida Today reported.

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The canal got its name because it's the spot where Indians once hauled their canoes by hand over a thin strip of Merritt Island in order to get back and forth from the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River Lagoon.

But these days, volunteers haul truck loads of trash from people who don't seem to give a hoot.

"We are closing them so that we can clean up the litter," Kimberly King-Wrenn, visitor services manager at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, said via email. "Once the litter is cleaned up and the new cans are installed, they will be re-opened."

Merritt Island refuge officials announced the temporary closures Friday, citing efforts "to provide both a more enjoyable experience for visitors as well as make the habitat safer for wildlife," add new trashcans and to host a community cleanup.

The refuge is asking volunteers to help clean up the four corners of the canal on Saturday, Feb. 11, beginning at 10 a.m., along both the north and south sides of the canal. Volunteers interested in helping on the north side will meet at the Manatee Viewing Deck at 10 a.m. Saturday. Those cleaning the south side will meet at the Bairs Cove boat ramp turn off at the same time.

Volunteers of all ages and experience are welcome to join in the litter pick up efforts, refuge officials said. The first 75 registered participants will get a free T-shirt for the event. To participate, contact Volunteer Coordinator Emily DeLanzo at 861-0668 or by email at Emily_DeLanzo@fws.gov.

According to the refuge's Facebook page, the Haulover Canal Bridge will be closed (starting Jan. 30) for about four months to all vehicular traffic, as workers on the bridge and below the bridge deck/driving surface perform corrosion control, structural steel repairs and replace corroded structural connections.

Signage at each "end" of State Road 3, where it connects to U.S. 1 near Mims, will state "local traffic only, bridge closed" and similarly at Black Point Drive. This should allow local traffic to access boat ramps, birding areas, and travel up to the bridge from either direction but they will not be able to cross the bridge.

There will be barricades at each side of the bridge, blocking access completely from the bridge area where work is being performed, the Facebook post says. The barricades will provide safety for the workers, as well as the motorists, keeping the two areas separated. There will still be access to the north side Manatee Viewing area and the south entrance to the Bairs Cove Boat Ramp.

Boat traffic will be able to use the Haulover Canal to travel as normal, with the exception of only one leaf of the bridge being opened. There will be a work barge in the waterway, but boats should be able to maneuver on the other side of the canal, refuge officials said.


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