U.S. Gulf and Atlantic:
Transport remained unavailable above Mile 20 in the West Canal due to shoaling brought on by Hurricane Ida in late August. Vessels traveling to Houston from the NOLA area were generally reported detouring through the Port Allen Route, adding 1-2 days of travel time in each direction. A Coast Guard safety bulletin named the stretch of canal running between Miles 21 and 33 as primarily responsible for the stoppage.
Dredging in the West Canal was projected to be completed by the end of the month. Multiple vessels blocking Bayou Lafourche reportedly closed that waterway from Lockport to the West Canal during the week. Lafourche remained open south of the West Canal.
Bayou Chene movements were available daily from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during ongoing floodgate construction, the Coast Guard reported. Tow lengths through the waterway remained capped at 600 feet, while boats with cargo configurations measuring greater than 54 feet in width were required to utilize an assist vessel. Intermittent total shutdowns were possible due to dive activities.
Shoaling extended travel restrictions at Miles 113-116 on the Atchafalaya River in the Morgan City area. Barge drafts were capped at 10 feet, while tows were limited to 600 feet of length and 70 feet of width. Tows running above 400 feet were “strongly advised” to travel with an assist tug.
Excess traffic stemming from the West Canal closure triggered ongoing backups at Port Allen Lock, with delays generally seen in a 2-3 day range. Corps data showed 39 tows queued to lock through the site on Oct. 12.
Restrictions at Algiers Lock limited unassisted tows to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers, although full-length tows remained possible with the use of an assist vessel.
Construction operations at the Belle Chasse Bridge were noted triggering intermittent transit stoppages at Mile 3 in the West Canal. Work at the site was projected to affect navigation through late 2022, with delays expected up to 12 hours at a stretch.
Travel through Bayou Boeuf Lock was restricted to overnight hours only on Monday through Friday, the Coast Guard reported, limiting movements to between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The lock was noted reopening for 24-hour travel on Saturday and Sunday.
Bayou Sorrel Lock waits were noted in a general 7-15 hour range for the week, while most Industrial Lock movements were clocked below 11 hours. Intermittent 5-6 hour wait times were heard through Bayou Boeuf Lock.
The National Hurricane Center reported a tropical disturbance located northeast of the Greater Antilles on Oct. 14. The system was assigned a less than 40 percent chance of strengthening into a tropical cyclone prior to Oct. 16.
Mississippi River:
The Corps announced revised seasonal closing dates for locks located on the upper Mississippi River, pushing the annual winter shutdown into November for a number of locks.
Locks 5A, 8, and 10 were included in the change, leaving planned shutdowns beginning on Nov. 28, roughly one week ahead of the prior Dec. 6 closure schedule. As a result, the locks are now tentatively slated to reopen for spring 2022 on March 17, ahead of the previous March 24 plan.
In addition, Lock 4 will close from Dec. 6 through March 21, while Locks 5 and 7 are tentatively set to shut from Dec. 6 through March 11. Lock 15 will halt navigation for the season on Jan. 1 through March 3, preceded by an in-progress auxiliary chamber closure set to continue through Dec. 1. The Lock 24 winter shutdown is scheduled for Jan. 1-31.
The Dredge Hurley relocated to the lower river’s Mile 293 for the week, from the last reported worksite at Mile 742. No navigation closures were expected from the current round of dredging.
Intermittent Lock 15 delays were noted up to seven hours for the week. Mel Price Lock waits landed under five hours, while Corps data showed sporadic Lock 27 delays in the 6-11 hour range.
Illinois River:
Raised wickets continued to be reported at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock due to low water levels, prompting tows to lock through both locations.
Ohio River:
The primary chamber at Cannelton Lock is closed for repairs through Nov. 19, necessitating detours through the site’s auxiliary chamber. In addition, the Cannelton secondary chamber is slated to undergo maintenance on Nov. 1-19, triggering potential intermittent full-lock shutdowns during that time.
Montgomery Lock is scheduled to undergo a main chamber closure starting on Oct. 18, allowing for a round of maintenance and repairs planned to run through Dec. 17. Delays are expected.
The Hannibal Lock primary chamber was reported shut through Oct. 29, forcing tows to pass through the secondary chamber. Waits were heard up to five hours.
An underwater obstruction continued to block operation of the Dashields Lock secondary chamber during the week. The main chamber at Willow Island Lock was reported shut to navigation through Oct. 31, forcing tows to pass through the auxiliary chamber.
Markland Lock’s secondary chamber has remained closed to vessel traffic since first-half 2020 due to structural cracks in the miter gate. Repairs were tentatively slated to conclude on Oct. 29. Maintenance underway at Olmsted Lock pushed delays to an average 7-12 hours.
A main chamber breakdown reported at the Tennessee River’s Pickwick Landing Lock was noted precipitating minimal delays for the week. Repairs were scheduled on Oct. 12-23, during which tows were expected to pass through the secondary lock chamber.
Wilson Lock continued to run staggered one-way lockages due to site damage. Southbound tows were allowed to lock during daylight hours, followed by northbound movements overnight. Delays were clocked up to seven hours for the week.
Kentucky Lock is set to undergo a total shutdown on Nov. 1-24, followed by another from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10, due to planned miter gate repairs. Tows were expected to detour through the Barkley Canal during the operation. Waits were quoted up to 23 hours for the week.
Lock 2 on the Monongahela River was slated to end a period of repairs and maintenance on Oct. 15. Main chamber work in progress at the site since Sept. 13 has forced all vessels to pass via the smaller secondary chamber, triggering intermittent lengthy delays.
The Allegheny River’s Lock 6 was reportedly closed to navigation until further notice due to miter gate damage.
Arkansas River:
Work scheduled for Oct. 19-21 at Joe Hardin Lock is expected to trigger intermittent transit stoppages from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sporadic daylight-hour shutdowns are likely at Emmett Sanders Lock on Oct. 26-28 due to planned maintenance.