Canaveral Lock, the largest navigation lock in Florida was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1965 to secure safe passage of vessels from the Banana River to Port Canaveral and the Atlantic Ocean. The lock reduces tidal-current velocities in Canaveral Harbor, prevents entry of hurricane tides into the Banana River and prevents salt water intrusion. This lock was built larger than originally planned to allow passage of the Saturn rocket’s first stage, used to put Apollo rockets into space.
