Securite, Securite: Atlantic ICW Deemed Unsafe

Updated 1 March 2004

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Open Letter to East Coast Cruisers

    We have been informed by several sources that 2005 budget for US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) for dredging of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) has been reduced to $0.0. We encourage you to contact your congressmen and congresswomen as this is a matter of safety. Please let me explain.

    There are thousands of recreational boaters that traverse the ICW as well as similar number of commercial vessels that rely on it. Many never enter the Atlantic Ocean nor do they have offshore experience. As the ICW deteriorates, many of these boats will be forced to 'sail on the outside' in the open Atlantic. It may already too late for the vessels that will soon begin their northbound journey. The greatly reduced dredging budget of 2004 has left Lockwood's Folly Inlet area of the ICW shoaled to 3' (that is 9 feet below the project's depth of 12 feet). This may force all but the smallest boats to travel the Atlantic from Charleston SC to Cape Fear (a 130 nautical mile journey or a 24-hour trip for a sailboat)

    The next safety areas where loss of life and property may occur are the Matanzas and Ponce de Leon inlets where they meet the ICW. These areas require dredging every couple of years. With 2-3 knot currents, boats will surely be beached and or holed without the dredging.

    I can go on but I don't think that is necessary. Suffice it to say that a fair dredging budget is required for both land and water related businesses as well as the large recreational community. The loss of life on the Morning Dew was partially due to budget considerations. Hopefully, it will not take loss of life to reverse this current budget decision.

    Please contact your elected Federal officials and members of the appropriate subcomittee and request that they have ICW maintenance funds re-instated to effective levels

    (From www.atlintracoastal.org) The Appropriations Committee, Energy and Water Development Subcommittee is the House committee that would add funds to the Corps of Engineers budget for the AIWW. They will be holding hearings during the next couple of weeks so it is urgent to send your letters today.

    The following is a list of members on the committee. If one of these committee members is your Congressman, please send your comments to him. Those marked with an asterisk are key committee members. (we on S/V Jule III have been sending emails whether they are in our district or not). 

    *David L. Hobson, OH Chairman 	www.house.gov/hobson/
*Rodney P. Frelinghuysen NJ  	Rodney.frelinghuysen@mail.house.gov 
Tom Latham, IA 			tom.latham@mail.house.gov 
Zach Wamp, TN 			fax:  202 225-3494 
*Jo Ann Emerson, MO 		joann.emerson@mail.house.gov 
John T. Doolittle, CA 		dolittle@mail.house.gov 
John E. Peterson, PA 		Jordan.clark@mail.house.gov 
Michael K. Simpson, ID 		mike.simpson@mail.house.gov 
Peter J. Visclosky, IN 		Thomas.quinn@mail.house.gov 
Chet Edwards, TX  		fax: 202 225-0350 
Ed Pastor, AZ 			fax:  202 225-1655 
*James E. Clyburn, SC 		jclyburn@mail.house.gov 
*Marion Berry, AR fax:  	202 225-5602

    Hope this helps. Please contact your elected officials!

    Captain Bob Todd (USCG # 1062432)
    Captain Ann Todd (USCG # 1062428)

    Here is the response we got from the Bush White House: White House Reply

Note: Above text in blue was reprinted in the August 2004 issue of Latitudes and Attitudes (page 14)

IntraCoastal Waterway Sinking into Money Problems

    "The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW, better known as the ICW) is filling up. On Monday, 2 February 2004, the Army Corps of Engineers held a press conference to release Bush's FY05 budget. The ICW doesn't appear as a line item. Thay means the waterway will be given no money at all in 2005.

    The Corps of Engineers does not even have the money in its FY04 budget to do emergency dredging at Lockwood's Folly Inlet some 12 miles south of Cape Fear River in NC where the depth is three feet at low tide (compared to project depths of 12 feet)

    We have only until the end of March to convince Congress to add funds to the US Army Corps of Engineers budget for maintenance dredging of the AIWW."

    Source: www.waterwayradio.net

Mariners are to Use Extreme Caution

    "Due to the limited commercial use of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway between Port Royal Sound, South Carolina (Mile 552) and Cumberland Sound, Georgia (Mile 713), the Savannah District will not receive funds to maintain the waterway to the authorized depths. The District will monitor the conditions of the waterway and publish quarterly condition reports. Mariners are to use extreme caution when transiting the waterway until further notice.

    Source: Local Notice to Mariners

ICW at Lockwood's Folly Closed to Commericial Interests

    "We have been notified Lockwood's Folly, a portion of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in North Carolina, is experiencing severe shoaling and commercial traffic is being restricted to navigating only during high tides. The result is that barges are waiting, sometimes for as long as 12 hours before navigating through the area. The U.S. Coast Guard has declared a safety zone at Little River Buoy 47 and 48. Commercial vessels with greater than three feet draft can only transit with COTP Wilmington's permission at high water. Tank barges are prohibited from transiting the area. The Corps of Engineers does not have money in their budget to do emergency dredging to open up the waterway. The situation is dangerous and totally unacceptable."

    Source: Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association

Bush's Office of Management and Budget attacks ICW

    "The Office of Management and Budget has made its own "rule" that so-called "low-use" waterways not be maintained. That is, waterways that carry less than 1 billion ton-miles of freight. Is it fair? No, its not. But, the guys at OMB making these arbitrary rules aren't willing to look at any other way of valuing our systems. They can't seem to understand the impact their decisions have on the lives of everyday people, regional development, our military installations, and the ability of our waterways to provide economic, environmental and recreational benefits. They only see it as a way not to spend money."

    "We truly are working diligently to find some money for the AIWW. I personally know that Corps headquarters is searching the operation and maintenance budget as we speak for any spare funds. But it won't be easy. First, their budget this year is a drop in the bucket of what they need. Already, the channels that go into New Orleans and Harlingen, TX are silting up - they didn't get enough money either - and that affects a lot of our petroleum and international trade. Second, even if the Corps could find some spare money or just take it from another project, they will still face the wrath of OMB, and OMB has decreed that any "reprogramming" of funds over 15% of a projects budget has to be approved by them. In addition, they have to get approval from the appropriations committee staffs."

    Source: Worth Hager, President of the National Waterway Conference

Latest ICW Shoaling Information from Skipper Bob

    "Shoaling problems have already developed. I have outlined the known problems below. Boaters will have to play the tide to get through some of these areas in the spring of 2004. Many areas less than 12' have been reported, but I have not listed those that have more than 8' but less than 12'."

    Also, check out the Corps of Engineer's map of shoaling trouble spots at http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/nav/ and click on "Shoaling Map".