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Sunday, April 6, 2014

Project: Interoceanic Smart Canal


Final Project
April, 2014

1) Topic: Tell us again the topic that you are planning to explore.
I plan to explore the idea of the Smart Interoceanic Level Canal in Chocó, Colombia to connect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.  This is a mega project of paramount importance in the future of commerce and transportation that would aid not only the North Eastern area of Colombia and the whole country, but also improve conditions for Latin America and facilitate the commerce for ships from all over the world.

Chocó is a Department in Colombia with an important geopolitical location.  It is in the Northwest coast of South America and has coasts on the two oceans Atlantic and Pacific.  Natural resources include gold mines, platinum, wood, among others. These resources have been exploited for hundreds of years leaving only poverty and underdevelopment.

This project aims at developing a Smart level canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in Chocó, Colombia to be used by Ultra Mega Post Panamax Ships of more than 250.000 tons.  They will be 80% of the shipping industry in 2030.

The canal will be automatized, so that the traffic flows smoothly. Two ports, will be built on each coast. Having a level canal means that there is no need for locks. Some of the automatized features include:
- 
Device to prepay tolls, and register the ship information.
- Sensors if the tide is high
- Automatic Sodium lights
- Automatic cranes for unloading cargo and loading it into the  
  electric railcars.
- GPS system and TV monitoring 24/7/365
- Patrol boats to assist ships and for security
- Two Light houses in the ports
- Living quarters on the two ports 
- Continuous dredging systems on the two ends of the canal.

The reason why I am motivated to do this project, is because there is extreme poverty in this region of Colombia.  There are no roads, and no potable water, even though it rains an average of 500” a year.  There is no electricity and there is a high incidence of malnutrition in the children.  In 2012, RCN a National Radio Station in Colombia reported that children in Chocó were committing suicide because of hunger.  Therefore, I feel that an important infrastructure project needs to be done to develop this area, and to make sure that children do not suffer hunger and malnutrition.

2) What: Tell us what you learned by exploring this topic
I have learned that this project has been dreamt by many different people since the 1800’s.
1. Frederick M. Kelly of New York sponsored four expeditions searching for the sea level interoceanic canal.  In 1884 the fourth expedition commanded by Captain William Kennish found the route starting on the Pacific at 7°N.   The Paracuchichi inlet was discovered to be the lowest point of the Baudó range. 
Capitain Kennish crossed over and found the Nercua and Truandó Rivers.  He followed them to the Atrato River and then to the Atlantic Ocean.  Kennish recommended two tunnels to cross the mountain, the rest of the water way was almost flat.  

2. Lieutenant Nathaniel Michler commanded another expedition to confirm Kennish’s findings. Twenty-two scientists traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific side. The findings were published by the US Congress and are now in Google books.  Copies of the illustrations are available from the Library of Congress. 

3. The USA Committee for the Interoceanic Canal evaluated with the USACE thirty possible sites for an interoceanic canal.  They concluded that Route #25 (Atrato-Truandó Rivers) is the only place for a sea level ship canal.  Nuclear explosions were considered but rejected.

4.The COLOMBIAN LAW IN 1964 ordered the construction of the Interoceanic Sea Level Canal. Studies were made by Tippets-Abbee McCarty, Straton of New York. This company is not longer in existence and the studies were lost in the Archives. 
A Topographic map scale 1:25.000 is available from the Colombian Geographic Agency “Instituto Agustin Codazzi.”

5. A second law in 1984 ordered the construction of the Atrato-Truandó Canal. A brochure by Mendoza Morales, A. et al is the only document that was left.  Unfortunately, once these laws have been decreed, no interventions have been done.


3) Where: What city is the student exploring this topic in. The student would include pictures, maps, or other graphics if possible showing the topic in their location. Be sure to cite the image sources.
The department where this project will take place is in Chocó, Colombia at the 7° N. latitude on the Pacific Ocean.  The canal will start at the Paracuchichi inlet, where a cut in the Baudó range needs to be done, which will be the lowest point in the mountain to connect to the Atrato River.  Then it will connect to the Truandó River and exit to the Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) at the Tarena mouth.
Two ports at each entry of the Canal will be designed using smart technology.
Google Maps:  Colombia

Municipalities of the Department of Chocó. 
Reference: Fundación Natura Colombia

Google Maps:  Chocó Rivers


Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi.
Map of the Interoceanic Canal.

Picture by Antonio Restrepo

4) Who: Tell us who you engaged through this project and how you engaged them. Explain what you learned from the people you engaged with.
I am working with the Sowing Seeds for the Future Foundation, a non-profit organization.  Dr. Jaime Gómez, is the Director of the Foundation, a retired physician who is very interested in the project and providing many of the research and historical background and information about the canal, the legal aspects and financial information to take this project to completion.
Information not included regarding contacts, due to not privacy issues.

Many more contacts have been made in Colombia and this has been a slow process to get the team together, however, it is a long-term project.  We think that the canal can be build in a period of 5-10 years.  Government officials need to be involved as well as Financial Institutions like the World Bank.  We have contacted many Universities in Colombia, and other countries since there is a need for hydraulic engineers to be involved.  Contact has been made with the Army Engineers of Colombia, to see how they can participate in this enterprise. 
Contact has been also made with the Native Communities in the area.  What I learned from them, is that they are willing to accept the project, as long as another small canal is made connecting two rivers and a creek to the Atrato River, which will facilitate their transportation between cities.  Since Chocó is mostly a jungle area, and at present there are no roads, most of the commerce is done by canoe or boat.  Therefore, the canal they are asking to make would connect two Rivers, the San Juan, the Quito, and the San Pablo creek to the Atrato River. 
The planning of this city involves an interdisciplinary team with multiple professionals to provide evaluation, analysis and implementation in the different fields.  Chocó also has a diverse cultural population formed by Indigenous Tribes and Afro Colombian citizens.
Chocó neighbors with Panamá, and the Panamá Canal which was open 100 years ago in 1914.  We have studied the lessons learned from its construction to avoid the situations which slowed the labor down.  The Panamá Canal, even with its expansion and the building of another lock, will not be large enough for the ships of the Future.  Reason why, we have focused our attention in the Canal of Chocó.





5) How: Explain how you completed the project. Include a discussion of how this project would improve your city.
This is a project that will take ten years to do from start to finish.  Since there is not much infrastructure in the Canal Zone, the planning of the ports and connecting cities can be designed having in mind the most important elements of city planning.  One of the most basic needs that is unmet at this time is the nutrition of children.  There is a high level of malnutrition due to the lack of available protein in their diet.  The cause of this problem is on one hand the lack of infrastructure to bring food to the area.  On the other hand, the illegal mining, has left pollution in the rivers and the sea, so that the fishing industry is at risk.  The project will improve the city, by planning to meet the needs of the community in an organized fashion.  By creating residential and school zones, that are communicated with the services and the canal, by roads, train, boat and air.  And by developing City Ordinances to maintain sanitation, and safety.  At this point, the contribution of this project is to create a blueprint and a standard of how things could be different and how the standard of living could improve by developing the infrastructure.

   a. Data Analysis: What data did you analyze for this project and what did you find?
Some of the data analyzed has been historical.  Mostly, the information that has been obtained regarding the best route to build the canal.  Since Spanish is the language of Colombia, Dr. Gomez and myself translated one of the most important books that delineates the Route # 25 which describes the coordenates and areas to connect the two Oceans via the Rivers. 
  
 b. Design: Describe the key design elements of your project.
The canal zone and all the elements of this project will be planned using smart technologies.
The key elements of this project are:
1. Interoceanic Canal of Colombia:  
1.1 Open cut of Baudó Range at its lowest point (Curiche inlet 7°N in        the Pacific Ocean) three miles length.  NE course for 15 miles, curve with large radius to the North, straight line to Tarena mouth in the Atlantic Ocean.
1.2 Electric standard gauge Railroad, parallel to the Canal.  This will
      be an automatized train, which will help in the canal construction
      and afterwards in moving cargo through the country.
1.3 Two ports at the extremes of the Canal in Curiche and Tarena
1.4 A Tidal Energy Center in Juradó, Chocó             Latitud: 7.11231,          Longitud: -77.772.  4.2 m high tides and a river to generate  
       200MW of electricity. 
1.5 Industrial development: cement factory, ship and boat slips for
      construction and repair, 2 hospitals, housing for 1.7 million
      workers, churches, libraries, schools, airports, auditoriums,
      banks, fire department, offices, police station, restaurants, roads,
      stores, TV and radio stations, etc.
2. 0 CANAL OF SAN PABLO
The Canal of San Pablo is a smaller canal, requested by the Indigenous citizens of the area.  It includes  28.5 miles between Istmina and Quibdó, capital of Chocó.  Istmina is at 246 feet above sea level and Quibdó  at 203 feet  above sea level, therefore there are 43 feet difference, requiring a  lock of 1,200 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 9 feet deep. This canal will connect the San Juan and the Atrato rivers, useful as the Mississippi river for barges and towboats. 
3.0 Budget:  The Canal of Colombia will have a capacity of 46 vessels a day. For 360 days = ~17.000 vessels a year
.  Toll cost per ton is $5. Assuming vessels average is 20.000 tons that $10.000 times, the expected income is 17.000.000 per year.

   c. Challenge: If you have participated in challenge assignments that are related to your project, feel free to document the parts that are relevant to your final project.
There are several challenges in the construction of the canal.  On one hand, the cost of the two canals and the rest of the megaproject is close to $10 Billion Dollars (Interoceanic Canal: $6.5 billion and the San Pablo Canal: $3.5 billion dollars).  However, If five dollars are charged as a toll per ton, the investment will pay capital, interest and will develop a rich area. 
Second, the terrain is jungle, very humid and as mentioned before, it rains 500” per year.  Therefore, high infrastructure of health care must be in place to take care of the workers.  Sanitation of the area, to prevent yellow fever is very important.  Unfortunately, thousands of workers died in the construction of the Panamá canal, since at the time they did not have a vaccine for yellow fever and malaria. 
Third, perhaps due to the malnutrition in the area, it may be hard to motivate workers to do a difficult task in a difficult environment.  Reason why the infrastructure must be in place to start the canal, to include hospitals, housing, schools, churches, entertainment facilities and good salaries and benefits for workers and their families.


6) Final Product: Is a power point introducing the Canal project.








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