U.S. Gulf:
Travel restrictions continued to be reported through Bayou Boeuf Lock, limiting weekday movements to 7:00 p.m. through 7:00 a.m. nightly. Access was noted returning to a 24-hour schedule on Saturdays and Sundays, however.
A Coast Guard posting reported ongoing shoaling in the Houma Navigational Canal at Mile 7. As a safety precaution, drafts were limited to 11 feet at Miles 6-10.
Floodgate construction in progress at Bayou Chene limited movements to daytime hours only, Coast Guard data indicated. Bayou Chene was accessible daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., with tows limited to 600 feet. Towing widths measuring above 54 feet wide were required to utilize an assist vessel. Delay warnings were reported in the 6-12 hour range.
Atchafalaya River travel through the Morgan City area was available on a restricted basis due to an ongoing shoaling event reported at Miles 113-116 of the waterway. The Coast Guard limited drafts to 10 feet, while vessels were also capped at 600 feet of length and 70-foot widths. Tows measuring longer than 400 feet were strongly advised to travel with an assist vessel.
Algiers Lock size restrictions remained in place in early January, with caps on both tow lengths and widths effectively limiting unassisted lockages to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn. Larger vessels were allowed to pass when locking with an assist boat.
Belle Chasse Bridge construction activities were projected to trigger intermittent delays up to 12 hours into late 2022. The structure is located at the West Canal’s Mile 3, near Algiers Lock.
Port Allen Lock delays were posted up to 12.5 hours for the week, while intermittent Bayou Sorrel Lock waits were reported in a wide 11-36 hour range. Boats passing Industrial Lock required up to 21 hours to pass, while Algiers Lock movements were recorded up to 10.5 hours.
Navigation through Bayou Boeuf Lock was delayed up to 32 hours on Jan. 3-4. Colorado Lock transits saw sporadic wait times of 5-16 hours, and Leland Bowman Lock delays were noted peaking at nine hours on Jan. 4.
Mississippi River:
Channel reinforcement efforts at the lower Mississippi River’s Mile 642 were scheduled to kick off on Jan. 5. The work, slated to continue into late February, was expected to slow southbound travel by up to 12 hours at a stretch.
River depths at St. Louis drifted from 3.26 feet on Dec. 31 to (-)0.6 feet on Jan. 5, leading to tightened draft restrictions. On the upper river, Locks 1-18 were closed for the winter navigation season, while Locks 19-27 remained open for lockages, including Lock 25, previously scheduled to shut Jan. 1-31 for seasonal maintenance.
Lock 15 is scheduled to return to navigation on March 3, followed by Locks 5 and 7 on March 11. Lock 5A, Lock 8, and Lock 10 are projected to resume service on March 17, with Lock 4 scheduled for March 21, marking a complete return to spring navigation on the upper Mississippi.
Delays were noted at 10 hours through Lock 22 during the week.
Illinois River:
Ice formation and low river levels were expected to require raised wickets at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock during the week. A requirement to utilize ice couplings was also imminent, reports indicated. Peoria Lock delays were quoted up to 12 hours on Jan. 6, while wait times at LaGrange Lock topped out at around five hours.
The Corps has scheduled a Brandon Road Lock repair and maintenance project for May 9 through Sept. 8. Navigation will be capped at 70-foot widths, and available during overnight hours only May 9 through Aug. 14. Movements will be completely unavailable Aug. 15 to Sept. 4, followed by a return to overnight-only travel on Sept. 5-8. The site is scheduled to resume normal operation on Sept. 9.
Ohio River:
An underwater obstruction reportedly prohibited use of the Dashields Lock auxiliary chamber during the week, blocking the chamber’s miter gate from normal operation. Minimal delays were noted on Jan. 5, as travel remained available via the site’s main chamber.
The Corps has proposed a main chamber repair shutdown at Hannibal Lock, tentatively set to run from July 5 through Oct. 8 and anticipated to relegate traffic to secondary-chamber use only. A Cannelton Lock closure has also been proposed between July 5 and Nov. 11, and is expected to force movements through the smaller secondary chamber.
Wilson Lock delays on the Tennessee River were quoted up to 22 hours for the week. Boats passing Kentucky Lock waited up to six hours to pass, Corps data indicated.
Bio-acoustic fish fence maintenance was expected to block movements through the Cumberland River’s Barkley Lock between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily on Jan. 15-30. Extensive delays were predicted. Proposed maintenance at Cheatham Lock will limit navigation from May 16 through Aug. 4.
On the Allegheny River, Lock 6 continued to be closed to navigation due to a damaged miter gate anchorage.