Houston Ship Channel Still No. 1 Waterway
April 24 2024 - 1:36PM
Business Wire
Port Houston Maintains Leadership
Continuity
On Tuesday, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority
met for its monthly meeting. Chairman Ric Campo opened with news
that the Houston Ship Channel continues to hold the "top spot"
among the nation's waterways: that rating was confirmed last week
when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the U.S. Coastal and
Inland Navigation System 2022 Transportation Facts &
Information Report, incorporating the latest data on tonnage and
waterway rankings.
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A Maersk container ship navigates along
the Houston Ship Channel, the Great Lakes Dredge, and Dock’s dredge
"Carolina" at work. According to the latest U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers U.S. Coastal and Inland Navigation System 2022
Transportation Facts & Information Report, the Houston Ship
Channel remains the country's No. 1 waterway in terms of waterborne
tonnage. (Photo: Business Wire)
The Houston Ship Channel remains the nation's No. 1 waterway in
waterborne tonnage. In 2022, 293.8 million tons moved along the
Houston Ship Channel, a 10% increase over 2021 and a record for the
port. There is a gap of 67 million tons in annual tonnage between
the Houston channel and the country's No. 2 port. The
67-million-ton difference is larger than 94% of all U.S. ports.
"This report confirms that the Houston Ship Channel is the vital
economic engine to the nation and helps serve as the basis for
expediting Project 11, providing for growth, a safer channel, and
improved efficiency and emissions for the benefit of our region,"
Chairman Campo said. "And it underscores the importance of
continued federal funding to maintain the nation's busiest
waterway, so it can meet the daily needs of the region it
serves."
While touting the waterway's top ranking, Chairman Campo
highlighted the importance and steady progress of Project 11 as “a
testament to all those involved.” He emphasized that the No. 1
position means "jobs for our region.”
“When you think about being number one, it means we’re also
number one in jobs,” Chairman Campo said. “The more jobs created;
the more value created for the region.”
In other Port Commission business, long-time Executive Director
Roger Guenther's contract was amended to reflect his retirement
date of August 30, and Chief Channel Infrastructure Officer Charlie
Jenkins, another 30+ year employee and well-respected industry
leader, was named incoming chief executive officer.
Chairman Campo thanked Guenther for his many years of service,
saying he had done "amazing work" as executive director. He added
that changes like this did not happen very often, so continuity was
important, and "it would be a seamless transition."
"On behalf of the Port Commission, I want to thank Roger for his
service and exceptional leadership at Port Houston. He has led an
impressive 30-plus-year career, and in this last decade as
Executive Director, we have been grateful for his vision and
passion for the organization," said Chairman Campo. "We will work
to ensure a seamless transition following Roger's retirement, and
we are excited about the future of Port Houston."
Upon the news, Port staff gave a robust round of applause as a
show of support and appreciation to both beloved and endeared
executives.
“I'd like to thank the Port Commission for its support and
continuity. In my 10 years, I've had seamless support and
certainty, and look forward to its support of Charlie and his
leadership," said Guenther. "I'm grateful to the Port Commission
and the entire team at Port Houston for their unwavering support
during my career."
In other news, Chairman Campo told attendees that the Houston
Pilots had approved safety guidelines to continue easing their
daylight restriction reference point to move up the channel, as
more Project 11 dredging is completed. This now means an additional
one-and one-half hours transit time in each direction has been
gained since Project 11 began, further underscoring the importance
for the channel expansion and widening program.
Approximately 15 miles out of the 26 miles of Galveston Bay
reach of the Houston Ship Channel have been widened since the start
of Project 11, and Chairman Campo expressed appreciation to the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Houston Pilots and
other partners, and Port Houston staff for their diligence and
collaboration in getting that work done.
The next Port Commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May
21, at 9:00 a.m.
About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the
public wharves and facilities along the Houston Ship Channel,
including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most
efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the
advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship
Channel complex and its more than 200 private and eight public
facilities is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and
an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of
Texas and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports the creation of
nearly 1.5 million jobs in Texas and 3.37 million jobs nationwide,
and economic activity totaling $439 billion in Texas and $906
billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information,
visit the website at PortHouston.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240424955761/en/
Lisa Ashley-Daniels, Director, Public Relations, Office:
713-670-2644; Mobile: 832-247-8179; E-mail:
lashley@porthouston.com