WCI releases videos on importance of inland waterways

The following is the text of a news release from the Waterways Council Inc. (WCI):

(WASHINGTON) — Waterways Council Inc. has developed a series of videos aimed at educating audiences about the importance of inland waterways infrastructure and of the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP). As part of this campaign, WCI has produced four videos, which, along with more information about NESP, can be found on the WCI website at http://waterwayscouncil.org/NESP/.

The videos are:

• "NESP Now!"  — Interview-style video that discusses the importance of the waterways to the agriculture community. Inland waterways transport 60 percent of America’s corn and soybean exports. Long overdue investments in dams and locks threaten this trade. http://waterwayscouncil.org/nesp/nesp-now-video/

• "Waterways Deliver" — Animated video that underscores the economic impact of the inland waterways, which support more than 500,000 American jobs. But our locks and dams are crumbling. There is a plan to fix them. http://waterwayscouncil.org/nesp/waterways-deliver-video/

• "A Greener Way" — Animated video highlighting the environmental benefits of moving freight by barge on the inland waterways. Barges are four times more fuel-efficient than trucks. Find out more about this clean transportation mode. http://waterwayscouncil.org/nesp/greenest-way-is-to-tow-video

• "How Locks Work" — Animated video that explains how locks work and how barge traffic relies on locks built in the 1930s. Inland waterways are the most efficient mode of transporting cargo. But most of the dams and locks have exceeded their intended 50-year design lifespan. There is a plan to modernize them. http://waterwayscouncil.org/nesp/how-a-lock-works-video/

By Professional Mariner Staff