Cooperative Charting (Co-op Charting)
The Cooperative Charting Program of the United States Power Squadrons is conducted in close coordination with the Marine Chart Division, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.The Program is a major public service of USPS. Under it, members supply information to the Marine Chart Division of NOS/NOAA leading to corrections to nautical charts, small craft charts, and Coast Pilot publications. They also supply data on depth surveys and range status.
The Adopt-A-Chart subprogram enables individual squadrons to adopt a chart in their location and get recognition on new editions for their work. We have been told that the Cooperative Charting Program is recognized as the most effective user-participation program in all of the Federal services.
The LRGVPS participates in Co-op Charting. We have two Adopt-a-Charts, 11302 (Stover Point to Port Brownsville, including Brazos Santiago Pass) and 11303 (Laguna Madre Chubby Island to Stover Point including the Arroyo Colorado). These two charts basically cover The Laguna Madre from near the mouth of the Rio Grande to north of the Arroyo Colorado, including Port Isabel, South Padre Island, and the ports of Brownsville and Harlingen.
Each year we host a District 21 Coop Charting event, including training on good coop charting methods, on-the-water charting activities, and lots of good social evenets. Several LRGV members are on the national honor roll. This D21 Event brings in several members from many of the other 13 squadrons in our district, to help us gather data and keep our adopted charts up-to-date.
Findings are reported on-line, via a tool called CCWeb. This website is where you enter your data, and it automatically sends your data for review and publication.
Coop Charting includes training, GPS readings, Range Marker verification.
LRGV Coop Charting Chairman
Lt Rolando Lozano, S
rglozano@sbcglobal.net
