Bass club helps map Chattahoochee River

By Noelle WieheJune 23, 2015

usa image
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga., (June 24, 2015) -- Members of the Benning Bass Club spent June 20 mapping portions of the Chattahoochee River to improve the quality of the navigation aids available to anglers and boaters.

Kevin Clarke, deputy director of the Fort Benning Directorate of Emergency Services and a member of BBC, partnered with Navionics - a GPS mapping company - to navigate the river in their bass boats and collect the data on contour lines and depth, then upload the data to be recorded on the national base map.

According to the Navionics website, it has the world's largest database of marine and lake charts, covering the salt waters of the entire planet and fresh water lakes and rivers.

Clarke said there are still locations with little to no data. Navionics supplied the BBC with merchandise to compensate the members and in return, the BBC collected data from some of the locations they typically use that are not well detailed in the maps.

Clarke said the project will benefit any Soldier who fishes at Uchee Creek or along those sections of the Chattahoochee River because the base map will be updated and have better graphics. The maps will be available to boaters using Navionics equipment. Boaters and fishers will also be able to watch out for underwater hazards.

Clarke said most of the bodies of water in the southeast are actually flooded areas where dams were built.

He said what's left are trees, bridge abutments and houses.

As the fishermen drove their boats up and down the river to collect data, some still managed to drop a fishing line in the water while collecting data in their specific areas. Once all the data is collected, Navionics will provide BBC with new screenshots so they can see how much of a difference they made, which Clarke said will go up on the BBC website, www.benningbassclub.com.

Clarke mapped approximately 20 miles from Uchee Creek to Hatchechubbee Creek, while others gravitated to closer areas or even went as far down as Lake Eufaula.

Clarke said the club built a great relationship with Navionics through the project.

"Some of the club members get some stuff, we do a good deed for boaters in general and Navionics gets better graphic information - it's a win-win for everyone," Clarke said.