Winter Conference Report 2005

The Aids to Navigation (ATON) programs in the 8^th Coastal Region covers a variety of Aids to Navigation on both the Gulf Coast and adjacent inland areas. One of the main functions of the Auxiliary Aids to Navigation program is to verify that all aids, Federal, Private and Bridges are present, in their proper location and that lights and sound signals are operating properly. In addition the program covers functions that are not strictly Aids to Navigation. We will take a quick overview of these areas and programs to help us understand the extent and coverage of these programs.

One area common for most boaters on the coastal region is the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), which runs from St. Marks on the Florida Big Bend west for 1300 miles and ends at Brownsville, Texas on the Mexican Border. This waterway passes through each Gulf Coast State and is a major avenue for freight in this area. To safely move this volume of traffic requires that this waterway be well marked by aids to navigation to properly identify the channel. This waterway is also crossed by three busy waterways, the Mississippi River System, the Tennessee-Tombigbee River system and the Apalachicola, Three Rivers system.

These systems add many more aids to the coastal region both to mark their own channels, their crossings of the ICW and merging coastal waters. In addition there is an equal distance of coastal waters that also have to be marked with ATON’s to identify ports, channels, passes, harbors, etc. to safely move the

associated recreational and commercial boat traffic that operate on these waters both locally and from offshore. In addition to the Federal Aids, there are many Private Aids that have been added to these waters to mark hazards to navigation, bridges, Marinas, private channels and related waters. When you stop to think that the facilities of the Auxiliary are one of the primary resources for checking and reporting discrepancies and problems with these Aids to Navigation you begin to understand the broad extent and importance of the program.

In addition to these Federal Waters, there are a number of inland waters the are either natural waters that have aids to navigation administered by State or local agencies or dam impoundments that may have aids to navigation provided by either State Agencies or Corps of Engineers. Again Auxiliary facilities are often the only or main verifiers of the aids to navigation on these waters.

In addition to the ATON programs is the recently revised Chart Update program. This program has been revised and updated to improve the accuracy of the local charts that are so important to boaters. The new program promotes the concept that no one knows local waters better than the local boaters that patrol, cruise and fish on these waters everyday. Therefore Flotillas are encouraged to "Adopt" the local chart and as changes occur on the chart to forward the information to NOAA to be incorporated on the next edition of the chart. This system should prove to be the best way to update and upgrade the accuracy of the charts.

After reviewing the above information one begins to understand the importance and extent of the Aids to Navigation and the Adopt-A-Chart programs. While these programs have been very active and have made a vital contribution to safe boating, there is room for additional effort and areas that need additional help to expand operations in their areas.