Channel markers are being posted in the waters of Florida Bay at Everglades National Park. Those colored blue and purple have been installed/NPS

Everglades National Park is installing new access corridor markers and signs in Florida Bay as a key component of the park’s integrated 2015 General Management Plan to enhance protection and enjoyment of the park’s marine areas.

Work on 12 of 31 corridors is complete, mostly in the Flamingo area, and work will continue through April. Boaters should note important changes to existing channels as part of this project and follow all rules posted on the new signs. Some of these notable changes include:

• Twisty-mile Channel: To be an idle-speed corridor, and adjacent area a pole/troll zone;
• Dump Key Channel: A new corridor was installed just south of the original channel; later this year, the original channel will be eliminated and be part of a pole/troll zone;
• North Jimmy Channel: A new corridor to be installed just north of the original channel; later this year, the original channel will be eliminated and be part of a pole/troll zone;
• Pollock Key Channel and Bob Allen South Cut: An alternative on-plane corridor to be installed (called Bob Allen Pass) to improve access and better protect resources; later this year, these two shortcuts will become part of pole/troll zones.

Additional details and an interactive map are available at this site.

This project is made possible by the National Park Service and donations to the South Florida National Parks Trust from Yamaha, the American Sportfishing Association, and the Herman Lucerne Memorial Foundation.