The inlet of Malamocco is the main water access to the Port of San Leonardo and the harbour areas of the mainland to Marghera : most of the commercial traffic and nearly all of the industrial traffic passes through this inlet.
The canal bottom lies 15.50 metres under the average sea level up to the port of San Leonardo, which is reserved exclusively for hydrocarbon fuelled vehicles, and 12 meters under the average sea level up to Marghera, for a width that varies from 200 to 60 meters. It is marked off in the seaward part by two breakwater dams oriented in a NW direction; the north lying dam is 2,122 metres long and the southward one is 956 metres long.
Silting has reduced the width of some sections of the canal between San Leonardo and Marghera, therefore, the maximum draught allowed for ships in the direction of Marghera is 30'. .

The route is marked off for the entire distance by sodium lamps. The navigation is assisted by means of a radar system that guides the ships on their arrival, providing data for docking in the event of fog or poor visibility. The radar station is equipped with radio-goniometer instrumentation to identify the direction of origin of the VHF transmissions of ships coming into port and guiding them to the pilotage waters or mandatory anchoring zones.
These systems, and other mareographic, mareometric, and anemometric equipment, are set up on the pilot tower located at the base of the northern breakwater dam at the Alberoni.
 
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