DOMESTIC WATER CARRIERS CHAPTER 7

INLAND WATER CARRIERS Carriers operating in the Mississippi River basin, in the basins in the east, and other areas Sometimes called barge operators Inland navigation facilities include channels and locks

BARGES The term means a non-self propelled vessel and can be applied to barges used on the ocean Barges used on inland waters have flat bottoms and shallow drafts and cannot be used on the ocean

BARGES Open-hopper barges-carry dry bulk cargoes such as coal, sand, gravel, and limestone Covered dry cargo barges-carry grains Tank barge-used to carry petroleum, liquids, or gases

TOWBOATS Towboats push the “tow” of barges Towboats have square fronts and flat bottoms and are used only on inland waters Tugboats are used on the oceans and Great Lakes and pull deep water vessels

ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Provides most of the federal expenditures for river and harbor improvements A typical Corps of Engineers project must clear 4 steps: Congress must authorize study of problem Study must be funded Project can then be authorized by Congress Funds must be appropriated by congress before construction can begin

U.S. COAST GUARD Primarily concerned with providing for the safety of water vessels The Coast Guard and Corps cooperate to provide navigational aids to guide vessels on their proper courses

LOCKS AND DAMS The flow of rivers makes it difficult for vessels to navigate upstream Solution: create “steps” in the river by building locks Larger locks speed the flow of river traffic

INLAND WATERWAYS Main one-the Mississippi River Basin Two connect to the Pacific Ocean Along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts there are intracoastal waterways-used by recreational boaters

LASH/SEABEE SERVICES LASH (Lighter Aboard Ship) and Seabee vessels carry floating barges aboard oceangoing mother ships Widely used on the Mississippi River and rivers in Alabama LASH barge is slightly smaller than Seabee

GREAT LAKES TRANSPORTATION Great Lakes vessels are called lakers Lakers-long, low profiles and are not considered seaworthy Operate within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway

GREAT LAKES TRANSPORTATION Principal cargos carried on the Great Lakes: Iron Ore Coal Grain Limestone

ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY An international waterway built by Canada and U.S. Open to all commercial vessels of the world Enables vessels to sail between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean

DOMESTIC OCEAN SHIPPING In early U.S. history, domestic ocean shipping was the most important form of freight transportation Colonial cities were linked commercially by small vessels sailing the Atlantic coastline Coastal shipping has declined, but still exists

DOMESTIC OCEAN SHIPPING Products shipped: Gasoline Petroleum Sand Gravel Phosphate rock Sugar Lumber

DOMESTIC OCEAN SHIPPING Domestic ocean shipping routes: 48 states to and from Hawaii and Alaska Puerto Rico and New York, Baltimore, Charleston, Jackson, and New Orleans Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands and Florida

WATERBORNE PASSENGER TRAFFIC 108 ferry boats in mass transit operation in the U.S. Boat tours Vessels carry passengers, mail, food, fuel, and other supplies to offshore islands: Martha’s Vineyard (off Massachusetts) Tangier Island (Chesapeake Bay) Catalina Island (Southern California)

WATERBORNE PASSENGER TRAFFIC Passenger and automobile transportation Daily commuter traffic In Boston-water shuttle service between Logan Airport and Boston’s South Station

USER CHARGES Water carriers are our nation’s most subsidized form of transportation System-wide charges-such as the current fuel tax Segment Charges-based on cost of each segment Lockage fees Annual license fees

PROBLEMS IN THE WINTER Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway freeze Locks become difficult to operate Winter is the time when petroleum and coal are in greatest demand Difficult to transport coal and petroleum on Great Lakes in winter

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Dredged materials have to be disposed of properly Exxon Valdez -single hull tankers phased out by 2010 Concern for wildlife in U.S. rivers-such as the salmon in the Columbia and Snake Rivers