The U.S. inland navigation system consists of 8,200 miles of navigable rivers maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This system spans 22 states and includes 276 lock chambers with a total lift of 6,100 feet. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also produces a suite of navigational chart books or folios that are designed to promote safe navigation in these waters.
The U.S Coast Guard requires that commercial vessels operating in these waters, maintain on-board "navigation charts or maps appropriate to the area of operation..." (46 CFR Subchapter M). These folios will fulfill that requirement. However, it is incumbent on mariners to manually update these products and U.S. Coast Guard Notice to Mariners for changes and notices impacting these waters.
