South Carolina
District 26
Coastal Georgia
Cooperative Charting
The Cooperative Charting program helps the United States to maintain the accuracy of nautical charts and geodetic survey marker databases. Says NOAA. "The goal is to increase ocean and coastal 'intelligence' and thereby improve the ability to navigate safely and make informed choices. Good decisions today protect lives and property tomorrow."
District 26 volunteers have been active participants in the Cooperative Charting program since its inception, and individuals and clubs have been recognized for their contributions (see Awards and Honors). Conducted in close partnership with the United States Corps of Engineers, the United States Coast Guard, and NOAA's National Geodetic Survey Division (NGSD), the program continues to be a major USPS/America's Boating Club public service.
District 26 volunteers focus their efforts in South Carolina and Coastal Georgia, but they can also participate in the program anywhere in the United States. For more information on how you can get involved, contact your local club or the D26 Cooperative Charting chairman.
Nautical Program (On the Water)
The Aid-To-Navigation and Bridge Inspection programs support the United States Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard in assuring waterways are properly marked and maintained.
Volunteers report observations to help maintain the accuracy of electronic (ENC) and paper charts. NOAA ENCs support marine navigation by providing the official ENC used in the Electronic Chart Display and Information System. Charts are updated weekly with Notice to Mariner corrections.
Cooperative Charting also reports on marina services and amenities.
Contact Chris Rose to learn more about this program.
Geodetic Program (Off the Water)
Through the Geodetic program, volunteers help to verify the accuracy of reference points established on the surface of the earth by local, state, and national agencies. Maintenance and preservation of these marks are of utmost importance to users of the net and to NOAA's National Geodetic Survey Division.
Recognizing that many valuable geodetic marks are destroyed by construction, new roads, erosion, or for other causes, our job is to locate each of these marks and report their condition as Good, Poor, Not Found, or Destroyed, together with any change in the directions needed to locate them.
Contact Doug Thomas to learn more about this program.