Harris Chain Canal Homes

The Harris Chain is part of the vast Ocklawaha River Basin which drains water from Orlando north exiting the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville.  The ecology of these lakes is fragile and millions of dollars has been and continues to be be invested in improving the water quality. Up until the fifties, the dredging of canals and the filling of wetland areas was common place.

Before strict environmental controls went into effect, developers were allowed to dredge new canals to give more homeowners waterfront access to the lakes.  Today, dredging a new canal is out of the question and re-dredging an existing canal is strictly controlled.

Canal homes can be a great bargain, providing you are aware of the rules and potential problems. The most important factors when considering canal front property are the depth of the canal and the distance from the lake.  Many canals are extremely shallow during times of drought.  This is normally not a problem to the owner of a small boat where the motor can be trimmed up, but inboard boat owners should use caution.  Also, some canals have long idling distances before you can enter the lake and get on a plane. 

Water depth in a specific canal can be hard to ascertain and is not generally known by Realtors.     Many people have purchased canal front property in periods of high water only to find their boat high and dry a few years later.  We specialize in Lakefront Property and are familiar with canal water depths in high as well as low cycles. 

We invite you to tour this website in detail, especially taking the time to browse and view our property database.  If you would like more information about Lake County real estate, please contact us.