The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, through its Environmental Resources Management and Parks and Recreation departments, will soon begin construction on a unique artificial reef at Phil Foster Park in the Lake Worth Lagoon.
This location was selected due to its proximity to the Lake Worth Inlet and clear oceanic water adjacent to a guarded county beach. An area immediately adjacent to the project is already well known to scuba divers for the variety of sea life found there. The new reef project plan has been reviewed and endorsed by the Palm Beach County Diving Association. It is expected to become an important ecotourism destination making the area more accessible to a broader range of county residents and visitors.
The reef project will consist of placing discrete piles of limestone boulders and prefabricated concrete reef modules in 6 to 10 feet of water. The design will include ledges and small habitat spaces for fish, octopus, seahorse, and other sea life. The piles will be spaced to create an underwater snorkel trail over a two-acre area. An informational kiosk will be constructed along the shoreline to help snorkelers identify various marine life that may be observed.
Funding for this project will come from county vessel registration fees. Construction is expected to start on August 1 and will take about two weeks to complete.
The project area is located south of the guarded beach on the southern shoreline of Phil Foster Park. The beach will be open during construction with water access restricted in some areas. To learn more about this project, please go to www.pbcgov.com/ERM, then click on the “Project Fact Sheets” icon.
Phil Foster Park is located at 900 E. Blue Heron Boulevard, in Riviera Beach. Parking is free.
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