One-Third of the Nation’s GDP is Moved Across the US’s Inland Waterways. That’s a LOT!

Posted On July 8, 2024

Cline Jones spent time as a boy watching the locks and dams near his home take and receive tow-boats on the river. The attraction of the work was deep and he signed up to be a part of that industry. Today he’s the Executive Director of the Tennessee River Valley Association and the Tennessee-Cumberland Waterways Council. He knows the numbers: the 12,000 miles of waterways transport 1/3 of the nation’s GDP; 541,000 jobs come from the inland waterways; 15 barges equals 1000+ 18 wheelers or 216 train cars. There are 219 locks operating today.  And it’s the locks and dams that worry him the most. Many are well over their 50 year life-cycle for which they were designed.  We discuss the waterways, their infrastructure, and their threats. 

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Categories: Libsyn