Potomac River News

Mallows Bay, located on the Potomac River in Maryland, is not only a shipwreck site filled with decades of maritime cultural heritage, but it is also an excellent training ground for students immersed in studying maritime archaeology at East Carolina University.“When the United States entered the First World War, they had a plan to build about 1,000 wooden steamers to carry material to Europe. About 118 or so of those vessels were dumped in Mallows Bay in the 1920s and salvaged," said Dr. Nathan Richards.In this episode, host Kathy A.

American Cruise Lines said that American Legend, the newest small ship in the company’s innovative Project Blue series, was christened in Key West, Florida. The celebration took place while the ship was docked at Mallory Square, just steps from the City’s vibrant town center. American Legend was visiting Key West along one of the company’s popular 8-Day Florida Gulf Coast & Keys cruises, which sail roundtrip from St. Petersburg, Florida. American’s new Florida itineraries are…

The section of the Potomac River affected by the Jan. 29 midair collision of an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has now been fully restored, six days ahead of schedule.After aiding in initial rescue and recovery operations, 49 US Army Corps of Engineers subject matter experts worked alongside more than 2,000 responders from 45 private, local, state and federal agencies as they began preliminary assessments required for wreckage removal operations.Pre-staging operations commenced Jan.

Divers from the FBI continue are investigating multiple underwater targets in the Potomac River that could be additional aircraft debris from the collision between a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) RJ Aviation (Bombardier) CRJ700 and a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane operated as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Washington National Airport and the US Army helicopter collided at 8:47 p.m. ET on January 29…

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and U.S. Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving (SUPSALV), have removed all the major components of the American Airlines regional jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter from the Potomac River.The PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 airplane operated as American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, to Reagan Washington National Airport and the US Army helicopter collided at 8:47 p.m. ET on January 29…

“With all the archival data and that real archaeological data coming together, we’ve built the most accurate virtual model ever of Monitor, and I'm not just talking just the shell of it. Every single nut and bolt is there.” Tane CasserleyThe USS Monitor was commissioned during the Civil War for the Union Navy in answer to the Confederate Navy’s new ironclad ship CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack), touted as being capable of breaking the Union blockade at Hampton Roads, Virginia. Swedish-American inventor, John Ericsson came up with a unique low, freeboard design that included a first-of-its-kind rotating gun turret.Monitor was launched on January 30, 1862, and on March 9th, famously fought the Virginia at the Battle of Hampton Roads.

American Cruise Lines announced its line-up for 2025, including more new ships, 8 new itineraries, and the longest river cruise in the country, the 51-Day Great United States. 2025 offerings also feature an array of exclusive U.S. cruises, including bucket-list adventures exploring U.S. National Parks from Alaska to Wyoming to the Smoky Mountains. Next year, the world’s only 100% U.S.-flagged fleet of riverboats and small cruise ships, will sail over 50 different itineraries, including brand new cruises on the Mississippi River…

Videos of U.S. military personnel stopping drug-smuggling boats are exhilarating and frightening. They are not Hollywood movies but real-life, dangerous encounters on the high seas. In each of those instances, the use of force applies. The High Power Microwave (HPM) Weapon Systems Division at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) makes those encounters safer for everyone involved.“A significant portion of what we do focuses on vessel stopping,” said Kevin Cogley, HPM Weapon Systems Division head.

Crowley Maritime Corp. awarded Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships to Great Lakes Maritime Academy (GLMA) cadets Tristan Barnett and Jackson Dagata for their achievements and interest in maritime careers.Named in honor of former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Thomas B. Crowley Sr., the scholarship benefits promising maritime students. While earning their bachelor’s degrees at GLMA, both Barnett and Dagata also participated in Crowley’s cadet shipping program where…

There are many fine and elegant places to dine in Washington DC, but few offer the comfort and opulence to match the M/V Odyssey III. Her sleek, low profile superstructure designed to pass under the Potomac River bridges contains enough space to provide all the essentials of a grand evening. Cocktails, dinner, dancing and perhaps most importantly, the beauty and romance of watching the city lights from the deck of a boat on the serene river surface.At 240 by 63-feet the Odyssey…

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced funding for three clean diesel projects totaling $4.7 million to reduce air pollution from aging diesel engines in the Mid-Atlantic region.The funding will go to the Maryland Environmental Service (MES), the Mid-Atlantic Regional Air Management Association, (MARAMA) and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (WashCOG).“Taking steps to reduce emissions from older diesel engines rates among some of the most cost-effective measures we can take to improve the air we all breathe…

BMT Nigel Gee (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group, has announced its latest contract in partnership with sister company BMT Designers & Planners, for four 26.3m catamaran passenger ferries, destined for operation with Potomac Riverboat Company. BMT has worked extensively with Potomac Riverboat Company to develop the concept for the new vessel and continues to support the project with production engineering to the selected builder. BMT Nigel Gee’s experience and proven designs in the fast, low wash ferry sector was a key factor in selection.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released draft plans for proposed national marine sanctuaries in Wisconsin and Maryland that would aim to protect nationally significant shipwrecks, including those from the 1800s, World War I and other maritime battlegrounds. The sanctuaries were originally proposed to NOAA in 2014, and if created would be the first since 2000. In Wisconsin, NOAA is proposing to designate a 1,075-square-mile area of Lake Michigan adjacent to Manitowoc…

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced $4.85 million in grants to six Marine Highway projects along the waterways of 17 states and the District of Columbia. The goal of the Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway Program is to expand the use of U.S. navigable waterways to relieve landside congestion, reduce air emissions and generate other public benefits by increasing the efficiency of the surface transportation system. “These grants will help us take advantage of the economic and environmental benefits of one of America’s most crucial transportation assets – our coastal and inland waterways,” Foxx said. The grants will help expand existing marine highway operations across New York Harbor…

The Unified Command is scheduled to conduct a dye test Monday in the Potomac River and Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary near Arlington, Virginia, which may discolor portions of the river. As part of the ongoing investigation on the source of the oil sheen in the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary and the Potomac River, the Coast Guard and Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality will coordinate with the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services to conduct a dye test in the storm water conveyance system for the Roaches Run watershed. “The purpose of the dye test is to help identify possible source areas for the sheen observed on Roaches Run and in the Potomac River,” said Cmdr. Michael Keane, incident commander. “The dye testing will occur this morning,” added Keane.

An estimated 7,500 to 9,000 gallons of Jet A aviation fuel has spilled within Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and into the Potomac River, Friday. A Unified Command consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard; Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority personnel, including Airport Operations and Fire and Rescue; D.C. Department of Energy and Environment, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and D.C. Harbor Patrol has been established and is responding to the spill. Airport operations have not been impacted.

The guide helps to identify countermeasures to avoid human errors and bad decisions. Discover how to manage the human element on all levels – from the engine room, to the bridge, to the shore. From our summary of “The Human Element – A Guide to Human Behavior in the Shipping Industry,” we examine the chapters “Making Sense of Things” and “Risk Taking,” breaking down the most relevant information. Dirk Gregory and Paul Shanahan of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency developed the original guide. People are surrounded by vast amounts of information and need to make sense of it all.

With America's population expected to grow by 70 million over the next 30 years, moving the goods that enrich our lives --and the freight that fuels our economy-- will be a key challenge. As our Beyond Traffic draft framework indicates, by 2045, the volume of goods on our roads, rail, air, and water will increase 45 percent or more. Because tomorrow's looming increase will pose a significant burden on our transportation system, we must prepare to handle that freight now by developing and investing in solutions today. The good news is that DOT is working to do just that. Our Nation’s navigable waterways offer us a terrific, underused resource, and the Maritime Administration’s Marine Highway Program works to incorporate that excess capacity into the U.S.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has designated three new Marine Highway Projects. The Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, previously designated as the M-55 and M-35, connecting Chicago and Minneapolis to New Orleans, will serve as the primary routes for a new container-on-barge service being developed by communities along the rivers. The M-495 Potomac River Commuter Ferry Project will connect work and residential centers located along the Potomac, Occoquan and Anacostia Rivers…

NOAA today announced that Lake Assault Boats of Superior, Wisconsin, will build two small vessels for the Office of Coast Survey's navigation response program, part of a plan to eventually replace all six of the program's small survey boats. The combined cost of both 28-foot vessels is $538,200. "All of the navigation response team survey boats are nearing or have exceeded their designed service life," said Russ Proctor, division chief of Coast Survey's Navigation Services Division.

The Coast Guard will establish a temporary security zone Tuesday in designated waters in the National Capital Region for the State of the Union address. The security zone will be in effect from 4 p.m. Tuesday until 2 a.m. Wednesday, which may limit or prohibit navigation by commercial and recreational waterway users. The security zone will include the Potomac River from the Francis Scott Key Bridge, south to approximately two miles north of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The security zone will also include the Georgetown Channel Tidal Basin as well as the Anacostia River from the 11th Street Bridge to its confluence with the Potomac River. Entering or operating in the security zone is prohibited unless authorized by the captain of the port of Baltimore.

Members from various Coast Guard units throughout the United States joined together Sunday in support of the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington Monday. Members of the Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team from Coast Guard Regional Dive Locker East, located in Portsmouth, Va., and Coast Guard Regional Dive Locker West, located in San Diego, Calif., patroled areas of the Potomac River for possible security threats. Members of a Vessel Boarding Security Team from Coast Guard Sector Baltimore conducted initial safety inspections aboard the cruise ship Odyssey III.

Coast Guard conducts security patrols along the Potomac River safeguard the 57th Presidential Inauguration, 21, January 2013. The Coast Guard has combined efforts with local, state and federal agencies to provide security in the Washington area in support of the 57th Presidential Inauguration. Agencies are conducting security patrols along the Potomac River, and air assets enforce security zones within the National Capitol Region. "Inter-agency partnership is paramount in a national-security event such as this," said Lt. Cmdr. Randall Brown, Chief of Response at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore.