G-36 is one of around ten locks that pierce the Herbert Hoover Dike, which allows small boats to travel between canals outside, and the lake itself. Levels between the exterior canals and the lake can be several feet, and the Army Corps, which maintains the locks, tries to keep lake level around 14 feet above sea level. An outer canal follows the base of the dike along the north and east shore of the lake for 25 miles, from near the Kissimmee River to Port Mayaca.