NOAA begins new PORTS program for the Columbia River

NOAA begins new PORTS program for the Columbia River    The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said it has installed on the Columbia River a new Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS) to provide more accurate oceanographic and meteorological data.
   'The Columbia River handles annually nearly 48 million tons of cargo. Vessel operators must know the depth of the water in order to move the greatest amount of cargo without running a ship aground. In port areas, water levels and currents frequently differ from predictions as a result of winds and water runoff. PORTS provides real-time information needed to make marine transportation both safe and efficient,' NOAA said in a statement.
   PORTS is used at 12 other U.S. seaports or river systems: Anchorage, Alaska; the Chesapeake Bay; the Delaware River and Bay; Galveston and Houston, Texas; Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif.; Narragansett Bay, R.I.; New York-New Jersey harbor; San Francisco Bay; the Soo Locks, Mich.; Tampa Bay, Fla.; Tacoma, Wash.; and New Haven, Conn.