South Lake Worth Inlet, Boynton Beach, Florida

Back in sunny Florida again, at South Lake Worth Inlet or Boynton Inlet as Rob and Susan have been calling this great park.  This is Rob's favorite spot when they come to Florida.  Tons of pelicans used to hang around here, but for some reason, they stopped coming a few years ago.  Right now, as you can see, there is major construction to the buildings and the pier so there wasn't much for us to do when we took this photo last year.

Planning for the Boynton Inlet began in 1913 and the Florida Legislature approved its construction and set up a taxing district in 1915. The inlet was needed for two reasons: shipping and transportation and, more importantly, for health and sanitation issues since the water quality was declining in Lake Worth.   

In 1924, the Army Corp of Engineers issued a permit for the inlet to be built and in 1925 construction began. Boynton Inlet opened officially in March of 1927.

Waves crashing over the seawall

In 1932, an Ocean Beach resident built a 2000 foot seawall to protect his property from erosion and is known as the "McCormick Wall."  It has been upgraded several times.  A sand transfer plant, the first of its kind anywhere, was set up in 1937 to prevent erosion.  It was closed down in 1942 due to fuel shortages during World War II, but severe erosion to the inlet developed and in 1945, the plant resumed operation.

There were several more updates to the inlet, the most recent in 1974 when the bridge over the inlet was rebuilt.  Palm Beach County took over operations of the inlet when Governor Lawton Chiles abolished the taxing district in 1996. 

Fishing boat going through Boynton Inlet

Boynton Inlet is a great place to relax and enjoy.  You can sit and relax or take a walk on the pier and watch the fisherman there.  There are picnic tables set up where you can enjoy a lunch or just watch the boats go through.  You can also walk to the beach, collect shells or take a dip in the water.  See some of the local birds that land there and watch the sandpipers run up and down the shoreline.  The park does fill up on weekends and sometimes there is no place at all to park (although Susan and Rob have never lacked for a spot) but do get there early.


As usual, I have some links:

Trip Advisor.  There are reviews about the inlet and some great pics to check out. 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34094-d117432-Reviews-Boynton_Inlet-Boynton_Beach_Florida.html

A PDF link to the history of the Florida inlets. This is where I got most of my information. South Lake Worth Inlet (or Boynton Inlet) is on page 14.  I found this very interesting and informative. Pics and maps are included to let you see exactly where and when the construction was done. 
http://www.pbcgov.com/erm/coastal/shoreline/beach/pdf/history-inlets.pdf

A youtube video showing the beach at the inlet.  If you look to your right, there are several videos on Boynton Beach. Check them out as well if you've never been. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvWGDjYtHrE


Town of Ocean Ridge website.  A paragraph on the South Lake Worth Inlet and some history of the town and its surroundings. 
http://www.oceanridgeflorida.com/TownHistory.htm

South Lake Worth Inlet webcam
http://www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/webcams/slwi/

A1A bridge crossing over inlet