Page 49: of Marine News Magazine (May 2018)

48 50

INLAND SAFETY

Credit: Gregory Thorp

The disruption continued through July tions of the river were closed to navi- and extended on the Mississippi River gation and attempted coordination north to St. Louis and to New Orleans. with the Corps’ dredging resources

For various periods, traf? c on this intensi? ed. This pattern of locally di- densest section of the inland waterways rected actions continued through the became impassible, and numerous summer and extended to additional barges were stranded above and below COTP zones on the Mississippi River the closed or restricted sections. As the summer wore on, this lo-

During this event, response was cally directed approach to response led and coordinated by various Coast simply became overwhelmed by the

Guard Captains of the Port (COTP), system wide impacts. Leaders of the ? rst at Paducah, Kentucky, where op- towing industry felt that the govern- erational safety zones, tow size and ment could respond more effectively if

HP restrictions, and one-way traf- it had the assistance of a senior level ? c zones were established to prevent industry group during the planning of groundings. By mid-June, various sec- waterway management activities lead- www.marinelink.com

MN May18 Layout 34-51.indd 49 MN May18 Layout 34-51.indd 49 4/20/2018 10:00:41 AM4/20/2018 10:00:41 AM