U.S. Gulf: The Corps put Industrial Lock wait times at a minimum 24 hours for the week, with 22 vessels in line to lock. Shippers called Algiers Lock delays 2-6 hours, and passage through Port Allen was expected to add 6-10 hours to navigation.
Transit through Bayou Sorrel Lock required 12-14 hours with 13 vessels queued, which shippers attributed to a 3.4-foot differential between the lock’s flood-side and land-side gauges. A differential of three feet or more triggers automatic lock restrictions at Bayou Sorrel.
Elevated differentials closed the Charenton, East Calumet, and West Calumet floodgates for the week, and guide wall repairs at Bayou Boeuf Lock concluded on Feb. 11, returning operations to normal.
The National Weather Service (NWS) noted rising river levels at Baton Rouge. Depths were recorded at 30.81 feet and climbing on Feb. 18, higher than the gauge’s 30-foot action stage. Forecasters called for levels to peak at 31.0 feet before falling off on Feb. 20-21.
The New Orleans gauge read 11.83 feet, and forecasters expected a rise to 12.4 feet on Feb. 1. Flood stage at New Orleans begins at 17 feet.
Shippers reported Calcasieu Lock delays of 1-4 hours for the week, and vessels transiting the West Port Arthur Bridge were warned of a 3-foot clearance reduction. Maintenance and painting operations underway at the bridge are scheduled to run through April 30.
Brazos Lock reported waits of 12-18 hours with 24 vessels queued. Ongoing repairs to both the east and west floodgates prompted intermittent shutdown warnings during daylight hours, Monday through Friday. Shippers put Colorado Lock delays at 1-4 hours with four boats waiting to lock.
Lower Mississippi River: High-water warnings continued in the Lower Mississippi River last week.
Levels at Vicksburg peaked at 37.49 feet on Feb. 16 – above the 35-foot action stage – before registering 37.15 feet on Feb. 18, with further declines expected. Forecasts called for the gauge to show 33.5 feet of depth on Feb. 22. Memphis levels were reported at 16.97 feet and falling, considerably below that gauge’s 28-foot action stage.
Upper Mississippi River: Planned maintenance on the Mel Price Lock auxiliary chamber concluded last week, sources said, returning operations to normal. Transit through Mel Price required 1-2 hours with two boats in line to lock. Lock 27 required up to three hours’ transit time for the week.
River levels at St. Louis showed 8.8 feet and rising on Feb. 18. The NWS predicted the gauge would see 13.8 feet on March 2.
Upper River locks were believed to remain on track for a mid-March opening, shippers said. Locks 13-21 are scheduled to return to service on March 4, and Lock 9 is expected to come online on March 17.
Illinois River: High-water conditions persisted on the Illinois River last week. The elevated levels limited tow sizes and delayed deliveries, shippers said.
The Corps reported Lockport Lock delays at 1-2 hours with two vessels queued, and wait times at Dresden Lock were called 1.5 hours. Marseilles Lock passage was possible in an hour or less, the same as Starved Rock Lock, and the Peoria and LaGrange Locks did not operate for the week, allowing vessels to transit freely.
The Havana river gauge read 9.7 feet and falling on Feb. 18. The NWS projected depths to level out around the nine-foot mark starting Feb. 20.
Ohio River: Shippers noted high water levels at all points on the Ohio River. The conditions caused transit congestion and slowed deliveries, sources said.
Depths at Cairo receded below the 32-foot action stage to 28.33 feet on Feb. 18. Levels were projected to return to the action stage by Feb. 22.
Locks 52 and 53 were not locking again last week, but the Corps allowed vessels to pass freely. Despite its open status, Lock 52 navigation required 1-2 hours to transit, and Lock 53 added an additional hour.
Emsworth Lock transit was estimated at 1-2 hours, and waiting at Dashields Lock was pegged at an hour or less. Pike Island Lock required over an hour to transit, and wait times at R.C. Byrd Lock fell in the 1-3 hour range.
Further out in 2016, Montgomery Lock main chamber maintenance is expected to slow transits between May 9 and June 10, and an additional shutdown is on the books from Aug. 15 to Nov. 18. Work is slated to close the Emsworth Lock main chamber from June 20 through Aug. 5.
Allegheny River ice flows were reduced last week, but sources noted new high-water operating conditions instead.
The Tennessee River experienced elevated levels as well, leading to delivery delays. The Chickamauga Lock continued to report sporadic 10-11 hour closures due to electrical maintenance. The work was scheduled to conclude on Feb. 23.
High water was described on the Monongahela River, delaying transits. The Braddock Lock river chamber remained offline due to ongoing equipment failure, though shippers said the site’s land chamber was available for navigation.
High-water conditions on the Cumberland River further delayed Nashville-area navigation already slowed by CSX railroad bridge maintenance. Shippers said the river remained open, but anticipated the slowdowns would continue through the end of February. Barkley Lock delays, reported since Feb. 8, are scheduled to conclude Feb. 22.
Arkansas River: Shippers reported normal operating conditions on the Arkansas River.
Looking ahead in 2016, Webbers Falls Lock upstream locking is slated to close on May 16-22. A downstream shutdown is scheduled for Aug. 24 through Sept. 11.