Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association meets in Savannah to discuss funding, projects

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Members of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association are meeting in Savannah this week to discuss the future of the 1,100-mile waterway system that connects coastal communities across the region.

The waterway, created by Congress in 1919, links various rivers, bays and other bodies of water from Virginia to Florida. Association members and partners are focusing on upcoming projects and federal funding needed to maintain and improve the system.

AIWA Executive Director Brad Pickel said the recent government shutdown did not halt ongoing development, but has stalled appropriations for future work.

Recent waterway projects in the Coastal Empire include efforts to restore marshland on Jekyll Island by relocating sediment from the waterway to the island’s northern end.

“It was an experimental project,” Pickel said. “The idea being that as sea level rises, maybe it’ll help that marsh keep up. We want to make sure that our marshes don’t drown and we don’t lose the vital habitat for all the different animals that rely upon it.”

Other recent projects include building bird habitats in the Altamaha Sound and on Cumberland Island.

BoatU.S. Government Affairs Director David Kennedy said infrastructure that supports boaters is also a priority, which is often funded by federal programs.

“We’re in the middle of reauthorizing what’s known as the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund,” Kennedy said. “This is really where we capture taxes paid by boaters...that go into the infrastructure - boat ramps, docks, other things that we count on.”

Looking ahead, Pickel said the association plans to continue work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on long-term maintenance to address shallow areas along the waterway, which he referred to as “Marine Highway 95” because it parallels Interstate 95.

Watch the extended interview from WTOC+ below: