Boating

Boating from Nurmi Isles: Rio Barcelona, the Middle River, Bridges & Clearances

By Glen Primak, GLEN PRIMAK GROUP · Updated October 24, 2026

The short answer

Fiesta Way, Nurmi Drive and Royal Palm Drive are finger isles that run north from East Las Olas Boulevard, with a canal on each side. Boats leave from the north end. At the south end, each isle’s street crosses the Las Olas Canal on a short, low road bridge. In its review of the Fiesta Way bridge replacement, the Florida Department of Transportation states that the Las Olas Canal is not a navigable body of water and that the Coast Guard did not require navigational clearance. Treat the south end as closed to boats.

At the north end, the canals open into Rio Barcelona, the waterway that runs east to west across the tops of the isles, and from there toward the Middle River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Check the controlling depth on that route on a current NOAA chart before you plan a trip.

Once on the ICW, the usual way to the ocean is south to Port Everglades, through two bascule (opening) bridges. There are no fixed bridges on that route.

Sources: 33 CFR 117.261 (eCFR, current); Federal Register 2026-00932; Coast Pilot 4, Ch. 12 (Oct 18, 2026 ed.); USCG Federal Register 2012-8873 (Las Olas 24 ft).

Step by step: from the isles to the Atlantic

1. Leave the canal at its north end. Depth, width and turning room differ by canal and by dock, and deeper-draft boats may need to time the tide. Check depth at your dock and along the canal at low tide before you commit to a boat.
2. Follow Rio Barcelona out to open water. It runs across the north ends of the isles; the Middle River lies just to the north, and the ICW to the east. Plan the exact route on a current NOAA chart.
3. Turn south to the East Las Olas Bridge (ICW mile 1064.0). Coast Pilot 4 lists a reported 24-foot center clearance for this bascule span. Under 33 CFR 117.261, the draw opens on signal on the quarter-hour and three-quarter hour.
4. Pass the SE 17th Street (Brooks Memorial) Bridge (ICW mile 1065.9). It is a twin bascule with 55 feet of vertical clearance at mean high water when closed. It opens on the hour and half-hour, except weekdays (except federal holidays) from 6:50 to 9:10 a.m. and 3:50 to 6:10 p.m., when it opens only at the top of the hour.
5. Enter Port Everglades (ICW mile 1066.3) and run out the inlet. Monitor the harbormaster on VHF Ch. 14, keep clear of large vessels, and watch posted manatee and slow-speed zones.

What the clearances mean for your boat

• Under 24 ft air draft: you can usually pass under both bridges without an opening, subject to the tide and the clearance boards.
• 24–55 ft: you pass under the 17th Street bridge but need a Las Olas opening at :15 or :45.
• Over 55 ft: you need both bridges to open. Plan around the 17th Street weekday rush-hour limit.

Clearances are published at a stated datum, usually mean high water. Actual clearance falls on spring tides and king tides, so read the boards on approach.

Heading north, and the Middle River

• North on the ICW: the two Sunrise Boulevard bascule bridges (ICW mile 1062.6) have a minimum closed clearance of 25 feet at center (Coast Pilot 4). Their schedule is set in 33 CFR 117.261.
• Up the Middle River: Coast Pilot 4 lists fixed spans upriver: the Sunrise Boulevard bridge over the Middle River at 10 feet of clearance and the U.S. Route 1 bridge at 8 feet, with a no-wake zone starting 1 mile above the Sunrise bridge. This is small-boat water only.

Heading north, and the Middle River

• North on the ICW: the two Sunrise Boulevard bascule bridges (ICW mile 1062.6) have a minimum closed clearance of 25 feet at center (Coast Pilot 4). Their schedule is set in 33 CFR 117.261.
• Up the Middle River: Coast Pilot 4 lists fixed spans upriver: the Sunrise Boulevard bridge over the Middle River at 10 feet of clearance and the U.S. Route 1 bridge at 8 feet, with a no-wake zone starting 1 mile above the Sunrise bridge. This is small-boat water only.

City dock and seawall rules

From the City of Fort Lauderdale Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR) as amended by Ordinance C-23-05. This is a summary, not legal or engineering advice; confirm current code and permit requirements with the City.

• Seawall height (Sec. 47-19.13): a new or substantially repaired seawall must work as a tidal flood barrier with a top elevation of at least 5 feet NAVD88 (4 feet NAVD88 allowed for applications before January 1, 2035 if designed to reach 5 feet by 2050). Confirm who owns and maintains the seawall on a specific lot by survey and title.
• How far docks extend (Sec. 47-19.3): docks, lifts and similar structures may not extend into the waterway more than 25% of its width or 25 feet, whichever is less. Mooring or dolphin piles may extend up to 30% of the waterway width or 25 feet, whichever is less.

Questions to ask about a specific home

• What is the depth at mean low water at the dock and along the canal to Rio Barcelona, by survey?
• How wide is the canal at the dock, and how much turning room is there for the boat you plan to keep?
• When was the seawall last inspected or rebuilt, and to what elevation?
• Is there a lift or davit, and is it permitted?

Glen can pull the City’s permit history and order a survey as part of a showing. Ask about a specific home →