Survey vessels help identify hazards in St. Lawrence river

The Canadian Coast Guard has added two new Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels (CSSV) to its fleet, built under the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

These vessels survey and identify hazards in the St. Lawrence waterway. This is done by using state-of-the-art acoustic systems operated and monitored by the Canadian Hydrographic Service.

Let’s see how it works!

The CSSV uses multi-beam sonar to identify hazards in the water. The soundwaves bounce off of objects and return the information to the vessel.

This helps mariners avoid hazards such as abandoned anchors, when navigating our waterways.

Natural currents can create underwater sand dunes, which also pose a threat to mariners.

Once located, the sand dunes are flagged to the proper authorities so dredging can take place if required.

Over time, the CSSV surveys the depth of the entire channel, and the Canadian Hydrographic Service processes and distributes the resulting information.

With this information mariners know which sections of the river are safest and most efficient to travel, depending on the size of their vessel.

These new vessels ensure that mariners can continue to safely travel the St. Lawrence waterway.