ATLANTIC INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY ACTION ALERT

AIWW Restricted at Lockwood’s Folly, NC

December 8, 2003

We have been notified Lockwood’s Folly, a portion of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in North Carolina, is experiencing severe shoaling and commercial traffic is being restricted to navigating only during high tides. The result is that barges are waiting, sometimes for as long as 12 hours before navigating through the area.

The U.S. Coast Guard has declared a safety zone at Little River Buoy 47 and 48. Commercial vessels with greater than three feet draft can only transit with COTP Wilmington's permission at high water. Tank barges are prohibited from transiting the area.

The Corps of Engineers does not have money in their budget to do emergency dredging to open up the waterway. The situation is dangerous and totally unacceptable.

AIWA is asking that everyone contact your members of Congress today and ask them to provide emergency funds for the US Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District to dredge this area. Go to the Congressional Contacts page to locate your Congressional representatives. Please use phone, email or fax to send your message. Members of Congress need to hear from their constituents about this situation before it becomes worse.

We are asking all who read this message to voice your concerns. We need to make sure that our legislative leaders in Washington DC are aware of the far reaching effects of this situation.