Proceedings Of The Marine

SUM 2015

Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.

Issue link: https://uscgproceedings.epubxp.com/i/528099

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Navigation

Page 18 of 70

16 Proceedings Summer 2015 www.uscg.mil/proceedings With these challenges, there is more focus on operating and maintaining existing infrastructure more effciently and reliably. Assuming that a large amount of increased resources will not be available to improve waterway infra- structure, and that even if resources were available, it would take a long time to actually see the results of their appli- cation, we need to leverage developments in information infrastructure to deal with these challenges and improve waterway reliability and effciency. The Army Corps of Engineers is working aggressively to improve its own information infrastructure capabilities and is also working with other agencies, the navigation industry, and navigation equipment manufacturers to leverage efforts with shared interests. Most of these efforts are aimed at improving existing capabilities, primarily by increasing the interoperability of systems that share data or have applica- bility across multiple users. The eHydro Program The eHydro program streamlines hydrographic survey information collection, evaluation, and dissemination. Cur- rently, different USACE districts collect and maintain sur- vey data and create products for customers. While these are valuable products and well-tailored to users' needs, there are requirements at a national level and for non-local users that are not being met. This program will make standard data collection and dis- semination products available nationwide. In particular, eHydro will make information sharing with other agencies more effcient. For example, the Coast Guard needs accurate, The eHydro program will streamline and standardize hydrographic surveys. USACE Stats Throughout the 19 th century, USACE built coastal forti- fcations, surveyed roads and canals, eliminated navi- gational hazards, explored and mapped the Western frontier, and constructed buildings and monuments in the nation's capital. USACE focused on navigation as early as its civil works mission — dating to federal laws in 1824 — authorizing and funding it to improve safety on the Ohio and Missis- sippi rivers and several ports. Today, USACE provides safe, reliable, efcient, and environmentally sustain- able waterborne transportation systems for commerce movement, national security needs, and recreation. Infrastructure and services in support of the navigation mission include: ► 25,000 miles of commercially important coastal and inland waterways; ► more than 1,000 coastal and inland ports; ► 193 coastal and inland navigation locks with 241 lock chambers; ► 280 million cubic yards of channel dredging per year; ► hundreds of structures such as jetties, training works, breakwaters, piers, revetments, groins, dikes, bulkheads, seawalls, and other structures. See www.usace.army.mil. timely survey data for buoy placement; NOAA needs the same information for channel condition updates to naviga- tion charts. Lock Operations Management Application The Lock Operations Management Application (LOMA) improves the situational awareness for lock operators, ves- sel pilots, USACE management, other government agencies, and the navigation industry through coordinated and inte- grated inland waterway operational information. LOMA leverages Automatic Identifcation System (AIS) technology to collect information on vessel movements; it also uses AIS to transmit navigation information to vessels, such as water levels, weather, lock status, waterway restrictions and haz- ards, and other information. Capabilities include a geographic display and interface for the lock operators that includes real-time AIS vessel

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