Goula Crossing Channel News

Not Safe to Anchor After All

NOAA chart reveals underwater hazard for proposed anchorage area near Bayou Goula Crossing channel of Mississippi River. Cartographers from NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey recently flagged a potentially dangerous situation during their review of a proposed federal rule establishing new anchorage areas on the Mississippi River. The proposed anchorage areas were based on non-NOAA charts that did not depict the underwater pipelines. The pipelines, which carry benzene, posed a potential danger if ships dropped anchor on top of them. The pipeline areas are depicted on the NOAA nautical chart.