Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in southern Palm Beach County, Florida, is the federally authorized navigation channel that runs along the coast between the mainland and the barrier islands. It passes through West Palm Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. In this stretch it runs the full length of Lake Worth Lagoon, which is about 21 miles long and up to a mile wide. The lagoon connects to the Atlantic Ocean through two man-made inlets, the Lake Worth Inlet and the South Lake Worth (Boynton) Inlet. Farther south, the waterway continues through Lake Boca Raton to the Boca Raton Inlet. The River and Harbor Act of 1927 authorized the improved waterway, and the Florida Inland Navigation District was created that same year. The District serves as the waterway's state sponsor and works with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the channel.

Cities and the county run the public launches. Ramps include Currie Park in West Palm Beach, Sportsman Park in Lantana, Knowles Park and Mangrove Park in Delray Beach, and Silver Palm Park in Boca Raton. Boca Raton requires an annual boat launch and trailer permit or a daily pass. Carry-in sites include Phil Foster Park, the Snook Islands dock at Bryant Park, Osprey Park, Jaycee Park and Spanish River Park. Currie Park's ramps closed in September 2025 for redevelopment. State manatee protection rules set idle-speed and slow-speed zones in the county, some year-round and some from November 15 to March 31. The channel south of marker 52 has a 30 mph limit in summer and 25 mph the rest of the year.

Lake Worth Lagoon was a freshwater lake until a stable inlet was cut in 1877. Bulkheads now line 81 percent of its shoreline.