Water Transportation Network News

A new high-speed passenger vessel entered service for the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) on Monday.The newbuild, Dorado, is the first in a series of four new ferries being built for WETA by Mavrik Marine in La Conner, Wash. Construction on the second vessel in the Dorado class, Delphinus, is underway. Vessel construction was funded through the Federal Transit Administration and the State of California’s Proposition 1B in collaboration with the California Office of Emergency Services.

Responding to the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study report released today by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, American Waterways Operators (AWO) President & CEO Tom Allegretti reiterated the tugboat, towboat and barge industry’s understanding of the need to prevent the movement of invasive species, including Asian carp, between the two watersheds by utilizing a comprehensive set of science-based control measures that protect the free flow of waterborne commerce that is vital to the regional and national economies.

The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry, praised yesterday’s bipartisan passage of H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform Development Act, as a clear commitment to improving the nation’s ports and waterways and recognition of the tremendous value of our water transportation network. “The overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle is an example of what our democracy was meant to do – set aside partisan politics to help secure the nation’s collective success,” stated Tom Allegretti, AWO’s President & CEO.

The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association representing the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry, announced today that it has launched a new website designed to increase public awareness and foster greater knowledge of the industry’s key contributions in the areas of safety and the environment, security and the economy. “AWO and its members are very proud of our role in moving the nation’s commerce safely and efficiently, and we want others to know more about this very dynamic industry,” said Tom Allegretti, AWO’s President & CEO.

The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association representing the country's tugboat, towboat and barge operators, announced its strong support for the Reinvesting in Vital Economic Rivers and Waterways (RIVER) Act of 2013, introduced by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA). The bill seeks to modernize America's vital water transportation network and ensure the viability of the infrastructure needed to carry the cargo on which the nation depends. "It is no secret that…

Due to rising flood waters, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing nine locks and dams on the upper . Lock 16 in , was the first to close on Thursday, June 12. The last to close will be Lock 25 in . The closures will temporarily halt barge traffic on more than 200 miles of the UMR. The Corps of Engineers notified industry of the closures on Sunday June, 8 and update industry and other stakeholders daily. Industry representatives have reported that they have had plenty of warning to get their boats moved out of the closed portion of the river to avoid being trapped.