Development of Inland Electronic Navigation Charts Provide Accurate Information on U.S. Waterways

By Anthony R. Niles, TEC
Topography, Imagery and Geospatial Research Division

Inland waterways of the United States have played a vital role in the country's economy since settlement first occurred west of the Appalachian Mountains. Today, the Corps of Engineers maintains 8,100 miles of navigation channels on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, as illustrated in Figure 1, on which approximately 630 million tons of annual commerce is carried. Navigation in these confined, shallow-draft waterways (maintained to a minimum depth of nine feet) can be a challenge, which will only increase with more traffic and further emphasis on safety of life and property, and increased protection of the environment. Electronic Chart Systems (ECS), enabled by the satellite-based Global Positioning System and powerful low-cost computers, can significantly increase the safety and efficiency of navigation. However, these systems are only useful if accurate and compatible digital data are available. The Corps has thus begun development of accurate, large-scale and up-to-date Inland Electronic Navigation Charts (IENCs).

Need for IENCS

Currently, the Corps has 22 different chart books that cover the various inland systems. Although the books vary in scale, accuracy, features and update frequency, towboats and other vessels have used the books in successful navigation for many years. However few accidents may have occurred, an accident of tragic consequences can show the need for new technology or procedures for increased safety. The AMTRAK train derailment near Mobile, Ala., in September 1993, in which erroneous navigation led to a barge collision with the bridge, and a train crash with 47 deaths, prompted the National Transportation Safety Board to urge use of ECS on inland towboats. The barge collision with the I-40 bridge over the Arkansas River, and subsequent structure collapse, shows the potential value of ECS technology by alerting personnel (not just the pilot) when deviation from the planned route occurs. Incidents such as these, as well as other benefits to the tug and towing industry such as training and better operations efficiency, led to the American Waterways Operators' endorsement of IENC development and use. Subsequent appropriations by the U.S. Congress to the Corps enabled IENC development to begin in 2002.

Objectives

The IENC plan involves defining the electronic navigation charts based on industry needs and the feasibility for the Corps to produce; developing a production and maintenance capability; surveying needed features and those of insufficient accuracy; and incorporating ongoing updates and chart maintenance. Development of the IENCs has five objectives:

1. Adopt a uniform format and structure suitable for e-chart applications
2. Maintain with updates or corrections as new survey or channel condition information is collected
3. Develop the IENC based on the International Hydrographic Office S-57 hydrographic data exchange standard
4. Closely coordinate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Coast Guard
5. Make charts available over the Internet for free and open access

IENC Development

Development of the IENC chart cells to cover the inland waterway system involves a team across Corps districts, divisions, and the ERDC, as well as other federal agencies, mapping and GIS contractors, and companies or groups representing navigation interests. TEC, under broad guidance from the USACE Civil Works Directorate, serves as project coordinator by providing strategic plan development, task formulation, funds dissemination, quality assurance, product publication, and interface with outside agencies. Corps districts develop and maintain the IENCs within their respective geographic boundaries, using both in-house and contract services. IENC coverage for the entire 8,100-mile inland system, and implementation of internal production and update procedures, are expected to take six to 10 years, depending on the annual funding and the quality and availability of existing data.

Initial development of IENCs in Fiscal Year 2002, covered 3,200 miles of rivers, as shown in Figure 2. A sample view of the Pittsburgh Ohio River chart is also shown. The IENCs for the Ohio, Atchafalaya and Red Rivers, and the Black Warrior-Tombigbee System are published and available at www.tec.army.mil/echarts. Some of the Mississippi River IENCs are also available, and others are being reviewed for correct fixed aids to navigation information. Currently, coverage on the Mississippi River to St. Paul is being completed and some features are being resurveyed for better accuracy and consistency.

Current plans for Fiscal Year 2004 are to develop IENC coverage for other tributaries, such as the Illinois, Cumberland, Tennessee, and Kanawha Rivers; to continue developing data collection procedures for buoys; and to develop internal chart update procedures.