🔍 Key Concepts

• Mississippi River navigation channel design standards in the Lower Mississippi between Baton Rouge and New Orleans • Meaning of Federal Project Depth (authorized maintained depth by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) • Typical project depths for deep-draft commercial shipping channels vs. shallow-draft or Intracoastal routes

💭 Think About

• Think about what size vessels regularly transit between Baton Rouge and New Orleans—are they shallow-draft river barges only, or also deep‑draft oceangoing ships? • Which of the choices sounds more like a depth for a major deep-draft navigation project on the Lower Mississippi River rather than a small river, bayou, or ICW canal? • Consider the difference between authorized project depth and the actual sounding you might see on a chart—are exam questions usually based on the authorized project depth or a temporary shoaled condition?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in a U.S. Coast Pilot or applicable NOAA chart for the Lower Mississippi River what project depth is listed for the Baton Rouge–New Orleans reach. • Confirm your choice matches a depth normally associated with deep‑draft commercial traffic (e.g., tankers and bulk carriers) rather than just towboats and barges. • Make sure you are thinking of the main river channel project depth, not a side channel, berth, or harbor basin.