U.S. Gulf and Atlantic:
Hurricane Nicholas made landfall as a Category 1 storm at the Matagorda Peninsula in Texas early on Sept. 14. Galveston recorded nearly 14 inches of rain from the storm, while six inches was reported in Houston. Brazos Lock was shut to navigation on Sept. 14, and the Colorado Lock eastern gate was unavailable for service. Delays were posted up to 48 hours at the Colorado Lock western gate.
Sources continued to report transit restrictions leftover from Hurricane Ida throughout the Gulf. Delays and restrictions were expected to continue into mid- to late-September.
Bayou Chene and Port Fourchon travel remained restricted to daytime hours only, USGS data indicated, while restricted movements were noted through much of the West Canal. The Houma Navigational Canal remained shut to traffic on Sept. 14, and shoaling at Mile 19.5 in the West Canal contributed to a shutdown at Miles 18-20 that was projected to run through Sept. 21. Additional shoaling areas at Miles 23-33 required careful travel through the area, although navigation remained available.
Algiers Lock navigation caps effectively limited unassisted tows to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers. Full-length tows remained possible with the use of an assist vessel.
Construction operations that kicked off in early August at the Belle Chasse Bridge reportedly triggered intermittent navigational outages at the West Canal’s Mile 3, with delays up to 12 hours reported.
Port Allen Lock delays were reported at 2-3 days as lock operators continue balancing vessel inflows and outflows between the canal and river. Forty-five tows were reported in line to lock on Sept. 14.
Ten-hour delays were noted at Bayou Sorrel Lock, while Industrial Lock passages required up to 80 hours to complete, Corps data indicated.
The National Hurricane Center on Sept. 16 reported tracking a tropical disturbance southeast of North Carolina. The system was assigned a greater than 60 percent chance of strengthening into a tropical depression prior to Sept. 18. A second system located in the Central Atlantic on Sept. 16 was also expected to strengthen into a tropical cyclone before Sept. 18.
Mississippi River:
Ongoing salvage operations resulting from Hurricane Ida extended navigation restrictions at Miles 108-168 on the lower Mississippi River. Northbound tows were limited to 42 barges, while vessels traveling downriver were limited to 36 cargoes. Towing widths were capped at six barges in both directions through the area.
Low water levels and speedy currents led to ongoing restrictions for the length of the lower river, with towing cuts reported at 5-10 barges. The Dredge Hurley was reportedly moved to the lower river’s Mile 742 for the week, with no transit closures predicted.
Lock 18 at Mile 410 on the upper river was closed to navigation from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sept 15 for planned repairs. Mel Price Lock delays were reported up to 5.5 hours for the week.
A pair of Merchants Memorial Rail Bridge navigation closures are scheduled for Sept. 14 and Sept. 17, with travel through the site unavailable for 24 hours on each date. The shutdowns were described as part of an ongoing bridge replacement effort set to continue through 2022.
Illinois River:
Sources noted raised wickets at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, necessitating ongoing lockages through both sites.
Ohio River:
The Pike Island Lock main chamber was reportedly shut to navigation for repairs between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sept 14-16. Boats were heard navigating through the auxiliary chamber while work was underway.
The Cannelton Lock main chamber is shut through Nov. 19 for repairs and maintenance, pushing detours through the secondary chamber. The secondary chamber is scheduled for maintenance on Nov. 1-19.
The primary chamber at Montgomery Lock is scheduled to close from Oct. 18 through Dec. 17 for maintenance and repairs, with significant delays expected.
The Willow Island Lock secondary chamber is closed through Sept. 30 for planned maintenance. Following the conclusion of auxiliary chamber work, the primary chamber is scheduled to shut on Oct. 1-31, prompting detours through the secondary lock chamber.
Hannibal Lock was reported shutting its main chamber on Sept. 13 through Oct. 29 for repairs and maintenance, forcing tows to pass through the site’s smaller backup chamber.
The Markland Lock secondary lock chamber remains shut to vessel traffic through an estimated Oct. 29 due to cracks in the miter gate. All navigation has been detoured through the main chamber since the damage was discovered in early 2020. Intermittent 18-hour delays were reported at McAlpine Lock.
Travel through the Tennessee River’s Wilson Lock remained available via staggered one-way navigation for the week. Southbound tows were noted locking through the site during daylight hours, followed by overnight movements in the northbound direction. Delays were reported at 4-12 hours for the period. Corps data noted Kentucky Lock wait times up to 12 hours.
Bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) maintenance at Cumberland River’s Barkley Lock was set to begin on Sept. 16, blocking navigation daily from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through Oct. 5.
The Monongahela River’s Braddock Lock main chamber was noted shutting on Sept. 13 for repairs. Vessels were heard locking one barge at a time through the secondary chamber, producing delays of roughly five hours. Work at the site was scheduled through Oct. 15.
Arkansas River:
Work slated for Oct. 19-21 at Joe Hardin Lock will produce intermittent stoppages between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily. Similar delays were anticipated at Emmett Sanders Lock on Oct. 26-28.