U.S. Coast Guard seeks mariner input for Western Rivers study

WASHINGTON – The United States Coast Guard is seeking input until July 1, 2018, for a study of navigation requirements for the entire Western Rivers System.

The Coast Guard Waterways Analysis and Management System (WAMS) study will review the Western Rivers Aids to Navigation (ATON) System.

The ATON system on the Western Rivers differs from the U.S. Coastal ATON System due to the unstable nature of the river and channels. The Coast Guard operates this system on the Mississippi River from Upper Mississippi River Mile 857 to Lower Mississippi River Mile 155 and on its tributaries.

The system also includes the following rivers and waterways:

• Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route (Louisiana)
• That part of the Atchafalaya River above its junction with the Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route including the Old River and the New River.
• The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (Mississippi)
• Tombigbee River ((Mississippi-Alabama)
• Black Warrior River (Alabama)
• Alabama River
• Coosa River (Alabama)
• Mobile River above Cochrane Bridge at St. Louis Point
• Flint River
• Chattahoochee River
• Apalachicola River above its confluence with the Jackson River 

The rivers and waterways by Coast Guard Sectors:

Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi	Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi	Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley	Coast Guard Sector Mobile	Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan
Arkansas River	Illinois River	Allegheny	Apalachicola River	Chicago River
Atchafalaya River	Minnesota River	Big Sandy River	Flint River	Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal
Canadian River	Missouri River	Clinch River	Chattahoochee River	Des Plains River
Lower Mississippi River	St. Croix River	Cumberland River	Mobile River
Ouachita-Black River	Upper Mississippi River	Green River	Alabama River
Red River	Kaskaskia River	Hiwassee River	Black Warrior
Verdigris River		Kanawha River	Mulberry Fork Black Warrior River
San Bois Creek		Little River	Locust Fork Black Warrior River
Keller Lake		Little Tennessee River	Coosa River
White River		Monongahela River
Pine Bluff		Ohio River
Port Allen-Morgan City Alternate Route		Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
		Tombigbee River
		Tennessee River
		Emory River
		Piney River
		Cumberland River

Interested mariners and maritime stakeholders can provide input at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WRWAMS. 

The survey will be available until July 1, 2018.

In addition to reviewing input from the survey, the WAMS study will analyze cargo data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterborne Statistics Center. Automatic Identification System (AIS) marine traffic data will also be analyzed and compared with environmental conditions, such as ice and water levels. 

The Western Rivers study is the third of a series of U.S. Coast Guard navigation systems reviews. The first study identified requirements for the Atlantic and Gulf Seacoast and the second study is reviewing navigation requirements for the Pacific Seacoast and Islands.

Through these system-wide navigation studies, the U.S. Coast Guard is reviewing its nation-wide policy on the use of ATON and delivery of Marine Safety Information to promote the safety of future maritime transportation and commerce on U.S. navigable waters.

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