History of the Lagoon and Inlet
The Lake Worth Lagoon is a lagoon located in Palm Beach County, Florida and is approximately 21 miles long and up to a mile wide. It runs parallel to the coast, and is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by barrier beaches, including Palm Beach Island. The lagoon is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by two permanent, man-made inlets. The Lake Worth Inlet is 800 feet wide by 35 feet deep; the South Lake Worth Inlet (also known as the Boynton Inlet) is 130 feet wide by 6 to 12 feet deep. The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway runs the entire length of the lagoon. Eight causeways and bridges connect the mainland to the barrier beaches, including Palm Beach Island.
In the mid-19th century the body of water that is now the Lake Worth Lagoon was a fresh water lake. There were no rivers or streams flowing into the lake; all of the flow into the lake was by ground seepage from the Everglades to the west. The only outflow from the lake was through a swamp. Extreme high tides and waves, high lake water levels and storms occasionally caused the formation of temporary inlets that quickly closed up again. When there was no inlet available, the settlers in the area had to haul their boats over the barrier beaches to move them between the ocean and the lake.
In the early 1900s, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway was completed from the south end of the Lagoon to Biscayne Bay. In
1917 the South Lake Worth Inlet was created in a failed effort to improve tidal circulation and provide flushing to the
south end of the Lagoon. It was NOT designed for navigation. Shoaling, strong currents that can exceed 5 knots on a strong
ebb tide and a bridge with 18' of clearance make this an extremely difficult inlet. It should be avoided by all except
experienced locals.
Lake Worth Lagoon is completely surrounded by the urbanized area of Palm Beach County. Approximately 65 percent of the shoreline is bulkheaded; only 19 percent of the shoreline remains fringed by mangroves. As a result of the many canals draining into it, the lagoon is adversely affected by wide variations in salinity levels caused by occasional large volume freshwater releases. Since 1994, there has been heightened awareness of the need for water quality improvements and habitat restoration and enhancement within the Lagoon. A Lake Worth Lagoon Management Plan was approved in 1998 to guide the Lagoon's restoration and enhancement. Click here to view the 2007 Plan revision.