Article

Last month, NMMA and other members of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterways Association (AIWA) board of directors, met with 14 members of Congress representing states from Virginia to Georgia. Board members sought Congressional support to fund dredging and maintenance by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the length of the 1,100-mile-long waterway, which stretches from Norfolk to Miami.

The Intercoastal waterway is officially designated Marine Highway 95, recognizing its importance as a shipping route between major ports such as Norfolk and Jacksonville, connecting as far south as Miami.

Consistent advocacy by AIWA for increased funding has helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reduce the backlog of unmet dredging needs by more than half in the past eight years, from a backlog of $126 million to $56.5 million.

Though the waterway is supposed to be maintained at 12 feet deep, inadequate funding in prior years left some areas silted in to less than five feet. The improved condition of the waterway has facilitated shipping and the economic boost to waterfront communities provided by the annual “migration” of boaters who sail or powerboat from as far as Canada south to Florida during the fall and spring.

For questions or additional information, contact NMMA's David Dickerson, vice president of state government relations, and an AIWA board member, at [email protected].