In February, the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) will implement a series of new measures to sustain the operational water level of the Canal. Gatun Lake, the main source of water for the Canal, has reached a historic low due to several years of lower than average rainfall and rising temperatures. These measures include:
- Freshwater surcharge for all vessels over 125 feet in length
- Variable fee (depending on Gatun Lake levels at the time of transit) ranging from a minimum of 1% – 10% of the vessel’s toll
- Reduction of the number of daily reservation slots
- Handling service fee applied to all visits for transit at the time they are created in the system
The PCA believes, “the new measures will allow the Panama Canal to better anticipate the number and type of ships transiting the waterway, and therefore allocate water resources accordingly.”