Keeping our Waterways Safe

Why should we keep waterways safe and Secure?

Imagine the havoc on our economy, and for our very way of life if that system is somehow sabotaged! We have serious risks to our U.S. Naval vessels right here on our shores. We have serious risks to LNG [Liquefied Natural Gas] vessels that bring critical fuel, and other commercial vessels as well. We have serious risks to our ports, ports that offload 95% of all the imports we use and onload 95% of the exports we produce.  We have real risks to cruise line vessels that are host to thousands of innocent travelers.   And we have real risks to other areas as well: nuclear power plants, our drinking water, our bridges. They MUST be protected. Which means that YOU as recreational boaters have new responsibilities on the water – to keep you safe – and to keep our country secure.

Our Marine Transportation System in the United States is enormous. No other country can match it for its sheer size and the volume of goods that go through it. The MTS includes: 

• 25,000 miles of navigable channel
• 238 locks at 192 locations
• The Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway
• Over 3,700 marine terminals
• Numerous recreational marinas
• Direct connections to over 174,000 miles of rail connecting all 48 contiguous States, as well as Canada and Mexico
• Direct connections to over 45,000 miles of interstate highway, supported by over 115,000 miles of other roadways that provide direct support to our Marine Transportation System
• Over 1,400 designated inter-modal connections, and
• Direct links to 460,000 miles of pipeline.