The Intracoastal Waterway is an American water route that parallels the Atlantic coastline and also the Gulf of Mexico. It is both mundane – with much commercial traffic and regular commuters from north to south – and mysterious, with connections to many other bodies of water and multiple conflicting descriptions.
The official beginning is in New Jersey, in the Managua River, although connected waters can take boaters as far as Boston. The route is like a geography lesson about the Eastern Seaboard, as the engineered route links one body of water to another. There are many exits and entrances to the Atlantic as the Intracoastal Waterway heads south to Florida and the Gulf states.
Created by an act of Congress in 1919, the inland chain of sounds, bays, rivers, lagoons, harbors, and canals is maintained by the US Corps of Engineers. Commercial fuel taxes provide the funds, which are adequate to keep the passage open. However, the mandated depth of twelve feet is not found everywhere, as some sections are as shallow as seven feet. Private boats can travel with out special taxes, and there are no tolls.
Many boat owners travel the navigable passage – variously stated to be a little over one thousand miles to three thousand in length- in a seasonal migration, north in the summer and south for the winter. Commercial barges carry petroleum and petroleum products, lumber, food, manufactured goods, and other cargo. Using the inland route is much safer than traveling over the ocean, and shorter as well, since it eliminates the Florida peninsula.
It is actually possible to circumnavigate the eastern portion of the United States, which many of its citizens do not realize. The passage connects to many rivers, including the Mississippi, the Alabama, the Savannah, the James, the Susquehanna, The Delaware, the Hudson, and the Connecticut.
For a unique vacation, travel the Intracoastal Waterway. For a great school project, learn about its history and trace its route. For fun, check it out on-line.
Visit MarineFuel.com for a comprehensive list of Florida Marinas including city detail such as marinas in Key West.
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