Many years ago I worked with an environmental engineering and consulting firm as an environmental scientist within a specialized group geared toward coastal zone management. As a US Coast Guard licensed Captain trained in hydrographic surveying and dredge sampling I found myself working on the east coast from New Jersey to Florida on a regular basis. Several years into my experience my company landed a government contract to sample potential dredging locations in the Intracoastal Waterway down almost the entire coast of New Jersey. Spending almost an entire month in the Garden State I walked away from the experience with several new pieces of knowledge: in New Jersey you have to bag your own groceries but you are not allowed to pump your own gas, sub sandwiches from Jersey are better than anywhere else on the planet, and the Intracoastal Waterway is only 2 to 3-feet deep in many locations at dead low tide! That right, two to three feet! Imagine if you had a large boat and had to plan all your travels around the tide!
Fast forward 15-years and now many locations from Virginia to Florida are now in this situation. In addition to the Intracoastal providing safe inland travels for recreational, commercial, and government vessels, this valuable resource provides a large boost to many local business that cater to travelers. Charleston will host a conference on November 13 and 14th to address some of the issues that threaten travel on the ICW and possible ways to restore the waterway. See the full press release below from Boat US Magazine.