Keeping the River Open for Navigation Traffic.

Channel Section is the recreational and commercial mariner's "Point of Contact" for channel-related events, channel condition reports and marine construction activities within the Nashville District.  This includes publishing Notices to Navigation Interests.

 The Channel Unit is responsible for the management of more than 1170 miles of navigable river channels on the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers and their tributaries. 

 The Channel Unit's team of four Engineer Technicians performs a wide range of duties such as:

Hydrographic Surveys:  Channel Section conducts hydrographic surveys of the river bottom to determine channel/lake conditions; locate areas of shoaling for channel maintenance dredging; assist with engineering of future projects for river bank or channel improvements and investigate reports of hazards to navigation traffic

Navigation Charts folios: Channel Section develops and publishes accurate hard copy charts folios of the navigation channels on the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems. 

Electronic Navigation Charts:  A massive project was begun in 2004 to develop electronic versions of these navigation charts with a much higher level of detail and accuracy.   Electronic charts are now available and perform very much like the navigation systems in modern cars and give you real-time information as to your position on the river.  An added benefit of the electronic charts is that electronic charts are updated monthly with any information that might affect navigation traffic.  New buoys, docks, shoaling, etc, are added monthly to the charts.  All you need is a GPS display device that will display S57 format files.  Electronic Charts can be downloaded free from the Corps of Engineers Army Geospatial Center’s website.

Channel Section develops and coordinates channel maintenance activities with the Maintenance Section's floating plant.  Maintenance activities include channel dredging; construction or repair of federal mooring facilities and removing of hazards or obstructions from the channel.

 Channel Section works with the US Coast Guard, Tennessee Valley Authority, the commercial shipping industry, dock owners/operators as well as private citizens to maintain the safe passage of traffic on the Nashville District's waterways.