In the Cooperative Charting Program, the Fort Myers Power Squadron supplies information to the Marine Chart Division, National Ocean Service (NOS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, leading to corrections to nautical charts, small craft charts, and Coast Pilot publications.
The program is a major public service of USPS.
The Fort Myers Power Squadron has adopted and is responsible for Nautical Charts 11428 and 11427, which cover the Caloosahatchee River from the Mid-Point Bridge to Lake Okeechobee and parts of Lake Okeechobee. We have been told that the Cooperative Charting Program is recognized as one of the most effective user-participation programs in all of the Federal services.
The Cooperative Charting program covers:
- NAUTICAL CHART CORRECTIONS
The Nautical Chart Corrections is the backbone of the USPS Cooperative Charting Program. Information supplied includes changes to: Aids to Navigation, Bridges, Dams, Geographic Names, Landmarks, Obstructions, Overhead Cables, Piers and Docks, Rocks, Platforms, Shoals, Signs and Markers, Submerged Cables, and Wrecks.
- DEPTH SURVEYS
Depth Surveys are used by NOS as a means of updating depth information for chart areas where it is not practical for NOAA survey ships to be used.
- RANGE LINE SURVEYS
A Range Line Survey helps to determine if the range markers have remained in their correct positions.
- SMALL CRAFT FACILITIES
Since NOS no longer performs Small craft facility surveys, due to budgetary constraints. Therefore, USPS is the principal supplier to NOS of updated information on them.
Small Craft Facilities are marinas, boatyards, and other marine facilities that service small nautical craft located on the coast and intra-coastal waterways of the U.S. and its possessions, and the Great Lakes. They appear on Small Craft Charts, Great Lakes charts, and in Coast Pilot publications. These facilities vary in size from tiny ones with a small dock to ones that house many boats and offer a wide range of features and services. It is important for operators of small nautical craft to be able to become aware of the location and services provided by these facilities, hence, the inclusion of these facilities on appropriate NOS charts.
Information provided includes: Position, Facility number, name, address, phones, e-mail, and web site URL, alongside and approach depths, tides, lift and marine railways capacities, Services available, Supplies available, and Rentals available.
- COAST PILOT PUBLICATIONS
The Cooperative Charting Program is one of the sources of updates to the Coast Pilot Publications. The National Ocean Service Coast Pilot is a series of nine books that cover a wide variety of information important to navigators and recreational boatmen. These books supply information that cannot be shown on the standard nautical chart and is not readily available elsewhere. The subjects in the Coast Pilot include, but are not limited to, channel descriptions, anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, currents, tides and water levels, prominent features, pilotage, towage, weather, ice conditions, wharf descriptions, dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, small craft facilities, and Federal regulations applicable to navigation.
- AIDS TO NAVIGATION INSPECTIONS
The Cooperative Charting Program periodically inspects various Aids to Navigation for both the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and local agencies.
- GEODETIC MARK SURVEY
The Geodetic Mark Survey locates and verifies State and Federal horizontal and vertical positioning survey markers.
Cooperative Charting is one of the ways that Fort Myers Power Squadron contributes to the community.
For more
information.