Canals Best Management Practices for canals are designed to provide protection to Florida's water resources. Since canals are often connected to streams, lakes or other water bodies, forestry activities adjacent to canals have the potential to impact water quality. In this section, canals do not include natural streams that have been hydrologically modified by dredging or straightening to enhance their efficiency to transport water. Such modified streams may have been significantly altered but they are still geographically located to receive and transport storm water and are connected directly to other waters. For this reason, BMPs for modified streams are identical to those for any other natural perennial or intermittent stream.
Canals are totally man-made and are generally independent from natural drainage features.
As artificial systems, canals exhibit periodic and limited characteristics of natural streams and usually receive periodic maintenance. Canals do not include forestry road-side ditches or upland field ditches. During normal silvicultural operations, heavy equipment must not be operated within canals or in such a manner as to result in damage to the canal bank. Canal crossings should be avoided when possible. Where necessary, crossings should be constructed in accordance with the BMPs for Stream Crossings .