U.S. Gulf:
Water levels above 12 feet at New Orleans necessitated ongoing towing restrictions in the region. The gauge was noted at 12.97 feet and falling slowly on March 30, with forecasts predicting a break below the 12-foot mark on April 6, two days beyond the previous April 4 forecast.
Calcasieu Lock was reported shutting to daytime navigation on March 22, limiting travel through the site Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The effort was projected to run through May 19, with delays expected.
Daytime shutdowns were observed at Brazos Lock due to ongoing repairs and maintenance, leaving access to the lock unavailable from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Waits were noted in a wide 9-23 hour range on March 30. Work at the site was expected to continue into late April.
A maintenance project closed the Bayou Sorrel Bridge to navigation weekly between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., as well as from 1:00 p.m. through 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Normal availability resumed on Saturday and Sunday. The project is slated to run through late May.
Guidewall replacement efforts at Bayou Sorrel Lock were expected to block Monday-through-Friday navigation between 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Most delays were noted topping out around the 13-hour mark during the week, while a handful of intermittent waits were heard in the 20-32 hour range. The repairs are expected to last into early 2023.
Bayou Chene remained inaccessible nightly from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. due to floodgate construction. Tows were able to access the waterway during daylight hours, albeit limited to 600-foot lengths. Tows measuring wider than 54 feet were required to travel with an assist vessel. Delays were projected in the 6-12 hour range during the week.
Draft limitations remained in force through Miles 113-116 of the Atchafalaya River due to ongoing shoaling observed in the Morgan City, La., area. Drafts were capped at 10 feet, while tow lengths and widths were permitted up to 600 feet and 70 feet, respectively. Tows running longer than 400 feet were strongly encouraged to travel with an assist vessel.
Algiers Lock length and width restrictions limited unassisted lockages to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn, helping to lift delays at the site to 34 hours during the week, rising from 15.5 hours in the prior report. Larger tows were able to navigate the lock when accompanied by an assist tug.
Construction operations on the books through the end of 2022 at the Belle Chasse Bridge were heard to prompt intermittent delays up to 12 hours at a time.
Port Allen Lock waits were clocked up to 13 hours for the week, while boats passing Industrial Lock were reported waiting up to 48 hours to pass. Harvey Lock wait times peaked around eight hours on March 30. Tows passing Colorado Lock were delayed up to five hours.
Mississippi River:
Elevated river levels remained the story of the week on the lower Mississippi River, with the conditions reportedly limiting barge counts, slowing vessel speeds, and forcing large vessels into daylight-only travel patterns through some urban areas.
The river gauge at Baton Rouge, La., was reported moving below the 35-foot minor-flood stage on March 28, registering at an action-stage 34.72 feet and falling slowly on March 30. Forecasts called for levels to remain at action stage through April 11. A flood warning and high wind warning were in effect for the area on March 30. The Vicksburg, Miss., river gauge was observed at an action-stage 39.85 feet on March 30.
Intermittent Lock 19 delays were reported in the 9-13 hour range during the week. Mel Price Lock waits were noted in the 4-8 hour range, while most Lock 27 wait times were counted at 6-12 hours.
Illinois River:
Large-scale maintenance and repair operations at Brandon Road Lock will impact navigation through the site between May 9 and Sept. 8, a Corps posting indicated. Tow widths will be limited to 70 feet for the duration of the project, while navigation will be available during nighttime hours only from May 9 to Aug. 14.
The lock will undergo a total shutdown from Aug. 15 through Sept. 4, followed by a return to overnight-only travel on Sept. 5-8. Operations are projected to normalize on Sept. 9.
Wait times at Marseilles Lock were noted up to 11 hours during the week, and Starved Rock Lock travel required up to 5.5 hours. Wickets were down at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock during the week, allowing tows to pass both sites without locking.
Ohio River:
Main chamber repairs at Emsworth Lock, underway since Feb. 22, continued to impact navigation times during the week. The main chamber was completely unavailable to transit, leaving vessels to detour through the secondary chamber one barge at a time. As a result, delays stretched to 4-6 days for the week. The project is slated to run through April 16.
A main chamber shutdown running through April 8 at Dashields Lock was noted forcing movements through the auxiliary chamber. Delays jumped to 2-4 days for the week, rising from 56 hours in the prior report.
Cannelton Lock repairs prompted weekly daytime travel shutdowns on Wednesday and Thursday, triggering delays up to a reported 12 hours. The project was expected to continue through May 26. An additional main chamber shutdown was proposed for July 5 through Nov. 11.
Belleville Lock is scheduled to undergo a main chamber closure from May 2 to June 22, triggering detours through the auxiliary chamber. A Corps proposal would close the Hannibal Lock main chamber from July 5 to Oct. 8.
On the Tennessee River, the Wilson Lock main chamber is shut through April 28 for repairs and maintenance, resulting in lengthy detours through the auxiliary chamber. Following a March 18-23 main chamber reopening to pass waiting vessels, delays through the site were reported rising to 2-4 days during the week. Waits were expected to slowly grow to seven days or more in the coming weeks.
The Cumberland River’s Barkley Lock was closed to daytime navigation on March 21-27 for Bio-Acoustic Fish Fence (BAFF) maintenance. Detours were available via Kentucky Lock and Barkley Lock while the project was underway.
A Cheatham Lock miter gate machinery repair project has been scheduled for May 16 through Aug. 5. The lock is expected to see a repeating pattern of 11-day shutdowns, followed by a three-day opening window. Delays are expected to be substantial.
Arkansas River:
Norrell Lock repairs and maintenance will limit daytime navigation during a pattern of 10-day blocks slated to run into January 2023. Navigation is scheduled to be unavailable daily, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., on June 1-11; June 22-July 21; Aug. 1-10; Aug. 21-Sept. 21; Sept. 3-Oct. 9; Oct. 20-Nov. 18; Nov. 29-Dec. 23; and Jan. 3-31, 2023.