The National Waterways Foundation (NWF) has commissioned a study just released by the Eno Center for Transportation titled “Benefits and Beneficiaries of the Nation’s Inland Waterways.”

Today’s commercially navigable inland waterways system, under the supervision of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies, extends almost 12,000 miles and transports more than 500 million tons of goods annually, including bulk, oversize, and overweight commodities. The Eno study explores the multitude of beneficiaries of the U.S. inland waterways system that are not related to commercial operators’ use of the inland waterways for transportation.

The inland waterways yield significant societal benefits in a variety of areas, and using case studies, the Benefits and Beneficiaries of the Nation’s Inland Waterways study describes 14 benefit areas derived from federal support for inland waterways, grouped into three categories:

• Economic development that includes industrial property development; commercial property values and waterfront development; residential property values; jobs and community impact; and tourism and recreation. 
• Energy and sustainability that includes hydropower; irrigation; water supply; cooling; and beneficial uses of dredged materials.
• Safety, security, and resiliency that includes transportation safety and congestion alleviation; flood control; national security; and global competitiveness.

“National Waterways Foundation is proud to have commissioned this important study by Eno Center for Transportation that examines and highlights the many beneficial uses and beneficiaries of our Nation’s inland waterways system,” said Cherrie Felder, Chair of the National Waterways Foundation. “The NWF’s work continues to create conversation around the criticality of the U.S. inland waterways, which is the most energy efficient, safe, and environmentally sound surface mode to transport America’s critical commodities, and which offers numerous under-appreciated benefits outlined in this important new study,” she continued.