Corps to Survey Damage to Texas Waterways
The Corps of Engineers Galveston District is working with its partners the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, pilots, contractor Terrasond, and the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association to move assets into place to survey Texas waterways in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, according to a Sept. 14 press release.
"Our goal is to get these waterways open as soon as possible," said Col. David C. Weston, Galveston District commander. "We know how critical they are to our nation's economy and industry, and, weather permitting, we will begin today."
The Corps has a rigorous schedule set up to conduct hydrographic and side-scan sonar surveys of the Houston/Galveston Bay complex and the Sabine Neches Waterway, according to Joe Hrametz, chief of the Navigation Branch.
"Our goal is to survey these waterways in the next two days," he said. "Challenges, including the weather, debris in or adjacent to the channels, and sea states will impact recovery time. We will execute as fast as safety considerations allow. We are also looking at beginning to survey Freeport, Matagorda, the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, the Victoria Barge Channel, and Chocolate Bayou today. We are using 17 survey boats to attack this issue."
The Houston/Galveston Bay complex includes the Port of Houston, Port of Galveston, Port of Texas City, Green's Bayou, Bayport and Barbers Terminals, and the Sabine Neches Waterway includes the Ports of Orange, Beaumont, and Port Arthur.
The U.S. Coast Guard, working with the Corps as partners in the Texas Joint Hurricane Response Team, completed center line assessments on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway from the Corpus Christi area to the Colorado River locks.
Visit www.swg.usace.army.mil for the latest in Hurricane Ike Recovery operations and other district information.