The Coordinated Implementation of a Differential Global Positioning System Along the Lower Mississippi River

Leonard P. Halphen

Abstract:	The Mississippi River links together four Corps of Engineer Districts: St. Louis, Memphis, Vicksburg and New Orleans. With this physical linkage comes common hydrographic surveying responsibilities that support navigation and flood protection projects from Hannibal, Missouri to the river's end in Southwest Pass, approximately 100 miles south of New Orleans. Recognizing that the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) would play an important role in hydrographic surveying, the Lower Mississippi Valley Division (LMVD) ** Hydrographic Survey Group formed an ad hoc DGPS committee with representatives from each of the four districts. The committee was tasked with the responsibility to research DGPS and to provide recommendations for the coordinated implementation of DGPS as related to hydrographic surveying in LMVD. This paper will highlight the steps taken by this ad hoc committee and illustrate the value of such a committee in the LMVD's transition into a rapidly advancing technology. It will also report on the progress of the actual implementation of DGPS and its impact on surveying operations. The ultimate goal of this paper, however, is to demonstrate to the surveying community the importance of the committee process in communicating the best course of action to accomplish stated objectives.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 1993 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 20 - 22, 1993 Parc 55 Hotel San Francisco, CA
Pages:	509 - 518
Cite this article:	Halphen, Leonard P., "The Coordinated Implementation of a Differential Global Positioning System Along the Lower Mississippi River," Proceedings of the 1993 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Francisco, CA, January 1993, pp. 509-518.
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