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Overview - Inland Electronic Navigational Charting
Then
The Mississippi River has the third largest river basin in the world. It is the fabled river of
Native Americans, Marquette and Joliet, Mark Twain, and steamboat pilots. Man's modern
relationship with the Mississippi River began by using the river as the focal point for
transportation, commerce, and trade.
Favorable locations along the river, such as landings and river confluences,
grew into settlements. Settlements grew into towns, which grew into cities.
Transportation progressed from canoes in the 1700's, to ferries and steamboats
into the 1930's, and finally to a major transportation artery connecting the Western Rivers.
Today, ocean going vessels reach 240 miles inland to the Port of Baton Rouge, LA
Early navigation on the Mississippi River was treacherous, with rapids and tree snags
prevalent throughout most stretches of the river. After periods of high water, the Mississippi River's channel at many places was too shallow, too narrow,
or too difficult for navigation.
The Corps
MR&T Project developed a river channel with
the dimensions and alignments that carry floodwater flows efficiently and are also suitable for
navigation.
Via the newly established navigation channels, steamboats became the workhorse
of the river -- carrying products, goods and people, connecting the many settlements,
towns and cities along the Mississippi River's extent and its tributaries. A wild river,
although tamed for navigation, still held many hazards to be avoided. During the steamboat
era, the average life of a steamboat was only 18 months.
Now
Today, the Corps of Engineers has initiated a national
Inland Electronic Navigational Chart Program
to support efficient and safer navigation in the Inland waterways.
We are utilizing modern software, mapping,
Geographic Information System (GIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies
to transform our traditional paper river charting data into new digital charting products
called Inland Electronic Navigational Charts
(IENCs).
These IENCs are databases consisting of information typically found on standard Corps paper
navigation
chart products, but it is presented in a standardized digital exchange format.
The data has been field tested and it is available for evaluation.
The Corps is developing an update cycle for these IENCs, as well as, additional future databases.
Our IENCs when used together with other shipboard sensor instrument data, such as radar, sonar, and
GPS, creates a software/hardware system called an Electronic Chart System
(ECS, see also ECDIS).
ECS provide a unified navigation information tool that aids in safer and more efficient
operation in the Inland Waterway System.
This on-line resource summarizes local activities supporting the Inland Electronic Navigational Charting Program,
provides overviews of local IENC projects, and provides links to the Corps national program, as well as,
links to other useful related electronic charting sites.
View Current Activities>>
Webmaster
(504) 862-1606
webmaster-mvn@usace.army.mil
Updated 8/25/2011
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