I live near the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Augustine, FL, but it is
most often mispronounced and misspelled "intercoastal." The latter is
clearly wrong based on authoritative map notations, but I can't help
thinking that it may have been once called the "intercoastal" or that
perhaps there are other coastal waterways in Florida that are properly
so termed, and maybe that's why most locals and others refer to our
waterway as "the intercoastal."

What are the differences between these two kinds of coastal waterways?
I see the logic in "intercoastal," that is, a waterway or canal-like
river situated between two coasts, that of the mainland and that of a
seaward island. But what, pray tell, does "intracoastal" describe?

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Clarification of Question by nautico-ga on 02 Sep 2004 09:55 PDT

What are the characteristics of those intercoastal waterways that
cannot also be considered intracoastal?

nautico --

Below is my contribution reposted as an official answer, as you
requested.  I'd like to be able to say that my "misspelling" was
intentional and a clever way of making my point, but despite my best
efforts my fingers often work quite independently from my brain.
______________

I suggest that the prefix "inter" is sometimes mistakenly used in
informal speech and writing referring to the waterway, probably simply
because "inter" is so much more common that "intra" in American
English and because the two prefixes sound alike.  Another example of
such confusion (although not as common) is the use of "intermural"
instead of "intramural" when referrring to activities within a
school's population.

So I think that there is no mystery about the "intracoastal" vs.
"intercoastal" problem.  It seems to me that "Intracoastal Waterway"
is unquestionably correct and that "Intercoastal" is sometimes
substituted in (understandable) error.

In connection with the waterway in question, "intracoastal" appears to
mean "within the natural boundaries of a coast."  Here is one
description of the Intercoastal Waterway that explicitly supports that
sort of a definition:

"The  Intracoastal  Waterway,  called  the  inland waterway, is a
channel in which a light-draft vessel can navigate coastwise from the
Chesapeake Bay almost to the  Mexican  border,  remaining  inside  the
 natural  or artificial breakwaters for almost the entire length of
the trip."

Integrated Publishing: Aids in the Intracoastal Waterway"
http://www.tpub.com/content/combat/14160/css/14160_141.htm 


And, the "coast" of Florida, or at least the "coastal zone," includes
these "natural and artifical breakwaters":

"Florida's coastal zone is a complex ecosystem encompassing the
mainland, barrier islands, estuaries, coastal marshes and mangroves."
1000 Friends of FloridaL Florida's Coast: How it Works
http://www.1000fof.org/PUBS/SAND/coast.asp


Finally, a simple Google search on "intracoastal waterway" yields
anout 92,000 hits, while a search on "intercoastal waterway" yields
about 20,000.

Although my research doesn't nail down conclusively the issue of how the
Intracoastal Waterway got its name, it seems to me pretty clear that the
waterway is "intracoastal" in a meaningful sense, but in no meaningful
way is it "intercoastal."


markj-ga

According to this site the terms are used interchangeably.

"The Intracoastal Waterway, also known as the Intercoastal Waterway,
is a fisherman?s paradise and offers endless opportunities for
boaters."

INTERCOASTAL WEST REAL ESTATE
http://www.intercoastal-west-real-estate-and-homes.com/

The prefix "intra-" means "within". 

The prefix "inter-" can also be used to denote something located
"within" but can mean "between", "among", and "in the midst of" as
well.

Let me know if your curiosity has been satisfied.

Regards;
tutuzdad-ga

All "Intracoastal Waterways" are technically "Intercoastal Waterways"
but not all "Intercoastal Waterways" can technically be considered
"Intracoastal Waterways" if that helps clarify.

tutuzdad-ga

nautico --

I suggest that the prefix "inter" is sometimes mistakenly used in
informal speech and writing referring to the waterway, probably simply
because "inter" is so much more common that "intra" in American
English and because the two prefixes sound alike.  Another example of
such confusion (although not as common) is the use of "intermural"
instead of "intramural" when referrring to activities within a
school's population.

So I think that there is no mystery about the "intracoastal" vs.
"intercoastal" problem.  It seems to me that "Intracoastal Waterway"
is unquestionably correct and that "Intercoastal" is sometimes
substituted in (understandable) error.

In connection with the waterway in question, "intracoastal" appears to
mean "within the natural boundaries of a coast."  Here is one
description of the Intercoastal Waterway that explicitly supports that
sort of a definition:

"The  Intracoastal  Waterway,  called  the  inland waterway, is a
channel in which a light-draft vessel can navigate coastwise from the
Chesapeake Bay almost to the  Mexican  border,  remaining  inside  the
 natural  or artificial breakwaters for almost the entire length of
the trip."

Integrated Publishing: Aids in the Intracoastal Waterway"
http://www.tpub.com/content/combat/14160/css/14160_141.htm 


And, the "coast" of Florida, or at least the "coastal zone," includes
these "natural and artifical breakwaters":

"Florida's coastal zone is a complex ecosystem encompassing the
mainland, barrier islands, estuaries, coastal marshes and mangroves."
1000 Friends of FloridaL Florida's Coast: How it Works
http://www.1000fof.org/PUBS/SAND/coast.asp


Finally, a simple Google search on "intracoastal waterway" yields
anout 92,000 hits, while a search on "intercoastal waterway" yields
about 20,000.

This comment doesn't really nail down the answer to how the
Intracoastal Waterway got its name, but it seems to me that the
waterway is "intracoastal" in a meaningful sense, but in no meaningful
way is it "intercoastal."



markj-ga

Mark, make that your Answer. I got a kick out of the fact that even
you slipped and called it the Intercoastal once (2nd sentence of your
3rd paragraph).

Here's another misspelling of "Intracoastal Waterway":

://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=%22innercoastal+waterway

Where I live, "intra," "inter," and "inner" are often pronounced in
much the same way.

nautico --

Thanks much for the five stars and the nice tip.

markj-ga