U.S. Gulf:
Ongoing flood conditions were described throughout the Gulf shipping region for the week, hindering navigation and stretching delivery and pickup windows.
Vessels moving north of New Orleans were saddled with restrictions, and most reported tows limited to 20-25 barges, down from the area’s typical 40-barge tows. Sources expected the reductions to result in 5-10 day delays on all material transiting the zone.
Shuttle boats running in the Gulf were capped at 6-9 barges in the southbound direction, while shuttles moving to the north were limited to 9-12 barges.
The Baton Rouge river gauge registered at 43.92 and holding on March 20, above the 40-foot major-flood threshold, but shy of the area’s 47.3-foot record high achieved on May 15, 1927. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast the gauge to remain above 42 feet through at least April 3.
The NWS reported New Orleans levels at 16.7 feet and steady on March 20. The Corps’ move to open the Bonnet Carre Spillway on Feb. 27 – the second consecutive year the structure has been needed – was projected to keep waters below the 17-foot flood threshold.
Sources described tricky navigating conditions in the West Canal near Morgan City, located at Mile 99, due to elevated water levels. Moderate transit backups were heard as a result.
Travel remained restricted through the Southwest Pass for the week due to ongoing challenges with silting. Vessel drafts were limited to 41 feet, constraining blue-water vessel access to one of the Gulf’s primary entry points from the Mississippi River. More than 70 vessels were queued for transit on March 19, an improvement from the 100-plus numbers quoted in the previous report. Dredging efforts were heard underway on March 20.
Calcasieu Lock main chamber construction in progress through June 30 triggered navigation delays up to 21 hours in length. The main chamber was closed to traffic Monday through Thursday between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., while overnight and weekend travel was unaffected.
Weekend navigation is unavailable through the bridge at West Larose, La., located at Mile 36 in the West Canal, through April 15 due to bridge repairs. The site is closed weekly from 7:00 a.m. on Friday to 7:00 a.m. on Monday, although vessels under 33 feet in height will be allowed to pass during work hours.
Transit through Port Allen Lock was generally quoted in an 8-12 hour range, although intermittent wait times were understood to spike above 29 hours in a handful of cases. Bayou Sorrel Lock delays were heard up to 16 hours, while Industrial Lock transits times fell to an average 47 hours from 120 hours in the previous report.
Algiers Lock posted 20-hour wait times, and tows passing Bayou Boeuf Lock were clocked up to 53 hours. Brazos Lock delays were reported at 10-18 hours.
Mississippi River:
Shippers reported persistent flood conditions on much of the Mississippi River. Navigation on the waterway’s middle and lower sections was described as particularly impacted.
Prohibitions on overnight bridge transits remained in place at Baton Rouge (Mile 237), Vicksburg (Mile 435), and Memphis (Mile 725). The Memphis gauge was clocked at a minor-flood 38.1 feet for the week, while Vicksburg returned a major-flood 50.8-foot reading.
Tow lengths were slashed by 15-20 barges from Cairo to NOLA, reducing the area’s typical 40-barge tows to a maximum 20-25 units, prompting 5-10 day delays. Lower-river transit was projected to remain highly restricted through at least early April.
The lower river was closed overnight on March 19 at Miles 55-58 due to a sunken vessel, sources reported. Transit reopened through the area on March 20. Old River Lock, the Mississippi River’s access point to both the Red and Atchafalaya Rivers, was closed due to high water. The lock was forecast to reopen on or around April 1.
Shippers reported tows reduced by one string, or five barges, between St. Louis and Cairo.
Southbound transit through both Grays Point and the bridge at Thebes, Ill., located at Miles 43-46 on the upper river, was possible during daylight hours only. The Corps added daytime-only restrictions on south-moving vessels longer than 600 feet at the St. Louis harbor. Both sets of restrictions were predicted to remain in effect through at least mid-April.
Snow melt working down the upper river forced closures at Locks 16-18, Locks 20-22, and the railroad bridge at Mile 282. Predictions called for Lock 22 and the Mile 282 railroad bridge to reopen on March 20, followed by Lock 21 on March 24. Locks 16-18 were due to return to service on March 26, while sources expected Lock 20 to come online on March 31.
Lock 25 returned from scheduled repairs on March 15 following a weeklong closure.
Illinois River:
Flooding continued on the Illinois Waterway for the week, sources said, restricting tow sizes and slowing navigation.
Due to lowered dams, the Peoria and LaGrange Locks allowed tows to pass without locking.
Marseilles Lock and Starved Lock are scheduled to undergo miter gate replacement June 1 through Aug. 31, delaying movements through the area. The Corps will enforce 70-foot width restrictions and daily 12-hour shutdowns June 1 through Aug. 15, as well as on Aug. 30-31. Both locks will experience complete shutdowns Aug. 15-30, effectively closing the river to commercial navigation.
Ohio River:
Flood conditions triggered daylight-only navigation on southbound travel through the IC railroad bridge in Cairo, located at Mile 976. Southbound transit at Miles 973-981 was also prohibited from overnight movements.
Main chamber work kicked off at Montgomery Lock on March 11, limiting lockages to a single tow every two hours between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., leaving a four-hour overnight window to pass any remaining queue.
Following the partial shutdown, Montgomery Lock will undergo weekday main chamber closures May 1 through June 14, leaving vessels to pass one barge at a time through the secondary chamber. Total lock shutdowns are scheduled for April 4, 18, and 23.
Scheduled maintenance has taken the Markland Lock auxiliary chamber offline through May 9, sources said. Minimal delays are predicted.
The Tennessee River remained closed above Mile 358 due to flood conditions. Forecasts are tentatively calling for the river to reopen after March 25.
Sources expected intermittent daytime shutdowns due to planned maintenance at Pickwick Landing Lock starting March 18. Work at the site was scheduled to run through July 25.