Us Intracoastal Waterway

[Hybris]

Hallo,long time no see.


I have been running my Twilight 2000 campaign for a while now(again) and we are now at September 1998 so they are starting to fell the decline quite heavy now.


this intercoastal waterway seams quite nice from a T 2000 perspective.


but i wonder if i can get some help in finding an answer on some basic and therefore importent questions.


1. if no locks are operating due to effects of emp is it possible to navigate at some stretches of the Mississippi river at all? i am assuming that the locks are open


2. if yes ,is it possible to have some force to ocupai some part of the river and locks there and therefore hold the river downstream as hostages?
either because that they can actually open and close the lock somehow or by demanding payment for passage.


3. wish part of the intercoastal waterway holds no locks and is therefore possible to navigate with no or little interference along the way.
--


Birger Hanning

[rcaf_777]

“The Mississippi River can be divided into three sections. The Upper Mississippi refers to the river from its headwaters to the confluence with the Missouri River. The Middle Mississippi is that part downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River. And the Lower Mississippi flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River

The Mississippi River has 29 locks on it mostly in the Upper Mississippi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_locks_and_dams_of_the_Upper_Mississippi_Ri ver

Many of these are Flash locks (See attached photo) which are like steps. While it would be possible for one end to left open, you still need the a working lock to pump the in or out to go up or down. I am thinking there are safety locks that prevent both ends from being opened.

The locks are operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) no history of them in TW2000 so anything could have happened to them? MILGOV Asset?

I am not sure if any of the locks would have damaged by EMP? The locks seem to away from major strikes? I think it would be more likely that workers would have melted away after the nuclear strikes

There are also a few major cities along the Mississippi that would be damaged and would create hazards to navigation. There are also a number of bridge that could pose the same hazards.

Somthing thing to think about

[.45cultist]

“The Mississippi River can be divided into three sections. The Upper Mississippi refers to the river from its headwaters to the confluence with the Missouri River. The Middle Mississippi is that part downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River. And the Lower Mississippi flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River

The Mississippi River has 29 locks on it mostly in the Upper Mississippi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_locks_and_dams_of_the_Upper_Mississippi_Ri ver

Many of these are Flash locks (See attached photo) which are like steps. While it would be possible for one end to left open, you still need the a working lock to pump the in or out to go up or down. I am thinking there are safety locks that prevent both ends from being opened.

The locks are operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) no history of them in TW2000 so anything could have happened to them? MILGOV Asset?

I am not sure if any of the locks would have damaged by EMP? The locks seem to away from major strikes? I think it would be more likely that workers would have melted away after the nuclear strikes

There are also a few major cities along the Mississippi that would be damaged and would create hazards to navigation. There are also a number of bridge that could pose the same hazards.

Somthing thing to think about

That makes sense, I know the Missouri river is very shallow up north.

[unkated]

I was wondering what you meant; I'm east coast boy, so to me the Intracoastal has always meant where along the coast the boat could go.

I found here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_waterways_of_the_United_States) a mention that most locks are more than 50 years old. Electronic controls would probably have a manual or mechanical backup system.

Uncle Ted

[.45cultist]

I was wondering what you meant; I'm east coast boy, so to me the Intracoastal has always meant where along the coast the boat could go.

I found here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_waterways_of_the_United_States) a mention that most locks are more than 50 years old. Electronic controls would probably have a manual or mechanical backup system.

Uncle Ted

I just realized it was intra, not inter- coastal!

[RN7]

As stated over half of the locks on the Mississippi are over 50 years old, and most were built in the 1930 and 1940's so it is unlikely that EMP would have caused much if any damage. Controlling the remaining bridges that cross the Mississippi might be of more importance however.

The Upper Mississippi runs 493 miles from its headwaters in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Minneapolis, then 664 miles of navigable waterway through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa to St. Louis in Missouri. In Minnesota from Lake Itasca to Minneapolis there are 14 dams. From Minneapolis to Granit City, Illinois there are 29 locks and dams maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers (two in Minnesota, seven on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, three on the Iowa-Wisconsin border, eight on the Iowa-Illinois border, and nine on the Missouri-Illinois border).

List of crossings on Upper Mississippi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crossings_of_the_Upper_Mississippi_River

The Middle Mississippi is sometimes considered part of the Upper Mississippi. It starts in St. Louis and runs for 190 miles through the states of Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois to the confluence of the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois.

The Lower Mississippi begins at Cairo and flows 1,000 miles to the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans through the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. Unlike the Upper Mississippi there are no locks and dams on the lower section, although the river is constrained by a series of dykes and levees to control flooding and maintain navigable channels for river traffic.

List of crossings on Lower Mississippi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crossings_of_the_Lower_Mississippi_River

The Mississippi physically divides the eastern United States from the west, is a major artery for trade and commerce, and the Mississippi River Valley is one of the most fertile agricultural regions in the country. Therefore controlling it or part of it will be highly important to everyone in the Twilight War. According to Howling Wilderness the system of levees and dams on the Mississippi broke down after the breakdown of civil government in 1998-1999. The Mississippi River has also changed course by 2001, with its new mouth being through the Atchafalaya River which has radically affected the water table of the old delta. The fresh water supply to cities downstream of Baton Rouge has being contaminated with salt water. However it also implies that it was the Lower Mississippi that was the worst affected.

The Mid West and the Great Plains

MILGOV
MILGOV controls the Middle and parts of the Lower Mississippi. They control Cairo and in 1999 retook Memphis after eliminating the Overlord of Memphis and also defeated CIVGOV's 35th Engineer Brigade forcing it west across the Mississippi. MILGOV controls territory in Southern Illinois, Kentucky and Western Tennessee within 100 miles of the Mississippi River. They have an enclave in Louisiana and are fighting remnant New America forces in Arkansas and Southern Missouri. MILGOV also controls nearby Kansas, Oklahoma, Western Nebraska and parts of Northern Texas.

49th Armored Division: Oklahoma
85th Light Infantry Division (1st Brigade): Fort Beauregard, LA
95th Light Infantry Division: Oklahoma/Western Kansas
98th Light Infantry Division (2nd Brigade): Arkansas
194th Armored Brigade: Cairo, IL (detachment at Robinson, IL)
197th Mechanised Brigade: Memphis, TN
The School Brigade: Nebraska/Western Kansas

CIVGOV
CIVGOV controls Minneapolis and other parts of the Upper Mississippi in Minnesota, Northern Illinois and Western Wisconsin. CIVGOV also controls nearby Iowa and Eastern Nebraska and CIVGOV forces are moving west towards the Mississippi from the East Coast through the Cumberland Gap and the Ohio Valley.

84th Light Infantry Division: Minneapolis, MN
35th Engineer Brigade: Omaha, NE
184th Infantry Brigade: Moving west through Cumberland Gap
228th Infantry Brigade: Moving west along Ohio River

NEW AMERICA
New America has some strongholds in Arkansas and Southern Missouri and some sympathisers elsewhere.

[kato13]

What is the situation on the Big Muddy in T2k?

Does it get any canon mentions?

I would think MILGOV would have had pretty solid control until at least 1998.

What is the general status of bridges, locks, hydro generators?

Anyone have any thoughts?

[jester]

And what about dredging operations and levy maintenance?

Would it return it is traditional snakelike path a levy going so it wanders creating its own channels and of course flooding the countryside near the break.

Who would clear the silted up areas, and the snags so your shipping isn't destroyed?

And what about the flying carp that have taken over sections?

[unkated]

What is the situation on the Big Muddy in T2k?

Does it get any canon mentions?

Other than credit for being there, I don't think so.

I would think MILGOV would have had pretty solid control until at least 1998.

What is the general status of bridges, locks, hydro generators?

Anyone have any thoughts?

I don't think canon touches much on infrastructure, except on the site of adventures.

I'd think Milgov has an advantage toward getting pieces of infrastructure they deem vital maintained, or more likely fixed when broken, because Milgov can order an engineering unit to fix the problem, whereas Civgov would have to hire civilian contractors - who would require payment, which may be difficult to arrange as technology fails and the economy fractures.

Uncle Ted