River Information Services (RIS) makes navigation data more accessible and usable in support of USACE navigation operations and maintenance (O&M). Data is ubiquitous across the public and private navigation stakeholders. Most stakeholders, public and private, are data produces and data consumers. Sharing data improves daily operations as well as long term planning, with many uses between these time-scales. The USACE navigation mission is to provide safe, reliable, efficient, effective and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation systems for movement of commerce, national security needs, and recreation, where each of these may be improved with RIS.

RIS uses several enabling technologies, such as USACE inland electronic navigational charts, USCG National Automatic Identification System (NAIS), USACE CorpsNet, and the Navigation Data Integration Framework (NDIF). Linking to specific authoritative data provided by the USACE and others enables creation of the information services and is facilitated through the NDIF that helps users discover authoritative navigation data across public and private stakeholders. Through LOMA, the information services may be transmitted at an enterprise scale, as in the case of weather information for every USACE navigation project, or at a project scale, as has been the case of a safe fairway through the active construction zones. Services may also be created and made available through other digital means, such as an Internet site.

Mariners are not the only beneficiaries of accurate, timely information from RIS. Because an enabling RIS technology is NAIS Lock Operators can see tows approaching project and better manage the flow of vessels. It also helps the lockmaster schedule maintenance activities when there is time between lockages. What was once a blind process handled over VHF radio calls is now a visual and much more accurate process because of the real-time locations provided through NAIS.

For the USACE, RIS delivers the capability to help provide safe, reliable, efficient, effective and environmentally sustainable navigation to waterway users. Based on needs, we can create information services that meet national, regional or project needs that communicate directly with mariner to help them move safely and efficiently along the inland rivers and shallow water coastal locks. RIS also helps improve reliability and sustainability for the USACE through significantly improved situational awareness of tows on the waterways and automatic collection of related data. Future RIS services are limited only by user needs and imagination.