We invite you to explore the many benefits of joining the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association.
The Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association is a 119-year-old trade association representing over 150 members throughout the 1200 miles of Gulf Intracoastal Waterway between Brownsville, Texas and St. Marks, Florida. GICA is committed to facilitating commerce by ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient Gulf Coast waterways.
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the third busiest inland waterway in the United States for tonnage handled after the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. However, most of the cargoes transported on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers are non-hazardous, dry bulk, agricultural products unlike the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway whose primary cargoes are petrochemical in nature. As a result, the cargo value and the risk posed by accidents involving towing vessels on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway are both significantly higher and require tremendous due diligence to mitigate risk and potentially severe economic and environmental impacts.
There is no other industry trade association like ours dedicated to addressing major issues affecting the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. GICA’s efforts impact manufacturers, port authorities, terminals, navigation districts, utilities, chambers of commerce, municipalities, drainage districts, legal firms, banks, suppliers, distributors, shipyards, carriers, and more as we continuously promote and protect this economic engine. We can only achieve this goal through strong membership support which enables GICA to provide a credible voice to state and federal agencies and elected officials.
If Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is an integral part of your business model, we need your help to advocate for navigation safety and efficiency to minimize risk, not only for the mariners plying the waterway but the communities they transit, minimize delays and associated supply chain impacts, reduce pollution, and combat the very real threats posed by unfettered and short sighted shoreside expansion and development along the waterway. Working together, we can promote, protect, and preserve this valuable marine resource for decades to come.
Your Membership will ensure GICA continues to provide:
- Industry leadership in support of federal and state partner response efforts during navigation disruptions, including near real time navigation bulletins and updates to help inform customers and minimize associated supply chain impacts;
- Advocacy for major channel and infrastructure improvement projects;
- A timely and robust navigation safety and hurricane response and recovery information sharing system;
- Industry engagement to ensure shoreside growth and expansion properly accounts for navigation interests and the continued viability of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway;
- A widely respected, and well-known voice of industry with federal and state agencies, and elected officials, at all levels of government.
GICA NEEDS YOU:
Healthy membership is critical to the future of the Association, and the continued viability of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. As you consider your decision, ask yourself where your business would be without the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway?
