[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 465 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 465

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      October 14, 2009.
Whereas the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AIWW) was authorized by the Rivers 
        and Harbors Act of 1937 to provide a safe inside navigation channel for 
        commercial shipping, support for and encouragement of interstate 
        commerce, and safe harbor and protection for shipping from inclement 
        weather and wartime enemy attack;
Whereas the AIWW, completed in 1940, runs along the southeast coast of the 
        United States from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West, Florida, and measures 
        1,088 miles long;
Whereas segments of the intracoastal waterway on the Atlantic Coast received 
        their initial congressional authorization through Rivers and Harbors 
        Acts beginning in 1880;
Whereas the AIWW is a vital transportation system providing safe, reliable, and 
        efficient navigation for commercial, recreational, and military vessels;
Whereas the Corps of Engineers is currently engaged in flood control, hydropower 
        production, environmental restoration, maintenance dredging, lock 
        maintenance, recreation, and navigation projects along the AIWW;
Whereas, according to the Corps of Engineers, in 2007 the AIWW supported the 
        transportation of 2,543,000 tons of freight traffic, including 
        commodities such as wheat, corn, soybeans, electrical machinery, iron, 
        coal, gasoline, fabricated metal products, and electrical machinery;
Whereas, according to the Corps of Engineers, in 2007 the AIWW supported a total 
        of 34,184 trips made by recreational, commercial, and military vessels;
Whereas the AIWW is an integral transportation network supporting the Armed 
        Forces through the shipment of military equipment, fuel, and generators 
        between Norfolk, Virginia, and Kings Bay, Georgia;
Whereas the Dismal Swamp Canal, on the AIWW, is the oldest operating artificial 
        waterway in the United States and has been placed on the National 
        Register of Historical Places, was registered as an engineering landmark 
        in 1988, and was included in the National Park Service's Underground 
        Railroad Network to Freedom Program in 2004;
Whereas the AIWW has enhanced the lives of the residents of Virginia, North 
        Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, as well as the greater 
        southeastern United States, for more than 6 decades;
Whereas the wildlife, flora, and fauna along the AIWW provide ample recreational 
        opportunities for birdwatchers, photographers, and boaters;
Whereas the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association was organized in 1999 to 
        address the navigation challenges of the AIWW and to encourage the 
        continuation and further development of waterborne commerce and 
        recreation on the AIWW;
Whereas the Association has voiced the interests of commercial and recreational 
        users of the AIWW, earning the title of ``Voice of the Waterway'';
Whereas the Association has been an advocate for maintenance of the AIWW to 
        promote safe, cost-effective navigation; and
Whereas the Association promotes the AIWW as a vital marine highway along the 
        Atlantic coast, providing safe navigation for commercial and 
        recreational vessels: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway 
        to recreational, commercial, and military vessels and to the history and 
        quality of life of the citizens of the United States; and
            (2) acknowledges the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association on 
        the occasion of its 10th anniversary.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.