According to the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the famed 1100-plus mile Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is getting “thin” from the effects of shoaling, and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association (AIWA) is aiming to do something about it. Members of the AIWA recently gathered in Washington, DC, to make sure this issue is a priority for Congress and the Trump Administration, as some areas of the waterway are reported under five feet deep—marking a dangerous loss of seven total feet to the authorized minimum depth of 12 feet.

It’s estimated that 13,000 recreational boaters migrate along this waterway every year, bringing a flow of income to small businesses all along the path from Norfolk, Va., to Miami, Fla. As a charter member of the AIWA, BoatUS has added its concerns as well. If the waterway isn’t improved, after all, boaters may be forced to take more dangerous offshore routes.

“The waterway is critical US infrastructure and important to recreational boaters,” David Kennedy, Manager of BoatUS Government Affairs, recently stated. “We vigorously support efforts to improve navigation and waterway access.”

Brad Pickel, executive director of AIWA, also stated, “We appreciate the high level of support by the Congressional delegation along the entire waterway. We look forward to ongoing investments in Marine Highway 95 as part of the infrastructure and jobs focus in the new administration."

For more information, visit BoatUS.com.

Photo credited to BoatUS. (L to R) Brad Pickle, Executive Director, AIWA; David Kennedy, Senior Program Manager, BoatUS Government Affairs; Mark Crosley, Chairman of the Board, AIWA, and Executive Director, Florida Inland Navigation District.