(WASHINGTON) — The National Waterways Foundation (NWF) has released updated waterways profiles for the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
The new state inland waterways profiles and a methodology document detailing how the data was calculated for the profiles is available here.
NWF worked with Cambridge Systematics Inc. (CSI) on the state waterways profiles using the National IMPLAN model to estimate the economic impacts of each state’s inland waterways system. The analysis included an evaluation of current economic and commodity flow information, inland waterways and waterways-dependent industries, top commodities, and the industries that most benefit from the inland waterways in each state. The profiles also include high-level, national benefits of and statistics for the inland waterways.
CSI’s data-driven methodology and process leveraged analysis from reports and research published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (utilizing the most recent data, 2021), U.S. Department of Agriculture, NWF, state agencies, Federal Highway Administration and Bureau of Labor Statistics, among other sources.
The profiles also reveal the number of inland waterways-supported jobs, associated state and local tax revenue, the volume of freight moving on the state’s inland waterways and how that equates to numbers of trucks, and how many miles of navigable inland waterways traverse the state.
“These updated waterways profiles highlight the critical value of the inland waterways to key states and are a great additional source of information. The National Waterways Foundation is proud to have commissioned this important project,” said NWF Chairman Matt Woodruff.
The mission of the National Waterways Foundation is to develop the intellectual and factual arguments for an efficient, well-funded and secure inland waterways system. Since its founding in 1978, the NWF has commissioned several important studies that have provided critical data points to enhance the national dialogue about the importance of the inland waterways to the United States.
These studies have highlighted the waterways system’s economic, environmental, safety and national security benefits, and its significance in America’s transportation network and supply chain. Click here to learn more.
– National Waterways Foundation
