Residential Canals and Canal Networks: Design and Evaluation

摘要

During the 1950's and 1960's an extraordinary demand for waterfront property developed, which was almost immediately satisfied by an intense exploitation of the Florida coastline. Since the demand for waterfront property was high and availability limited, the coastal developers planned these communities around extensive networks of branching canals. While some of these inland canals are completely tidal, others are isolated by control structures or salinity dams near the coastline and are fed from upland freshwater supplies. Without the tides to provide some energy for flushing, these inland canals must rely on a steady supply of freshwater for maintenance of water quality. This report describes the rational approach to canal design, the basic theory describing canal hydrodynamics and dispersion, guidelines for canal design, site surveys, canal design elements, and a procedure for evaluating an existing or proposed canal network.