US Gulf:
High water levels on the Lower Mississippi River continued to prompt travel restrictions on movements above New Orleans. Sources noted towing reductions of 15-25% below typical barge counts.
The NWS gauge at Baton Rouge was reported at an action-stage 33.1 feet and falling on April 19, after cresting shy of the 35-foot minor-flood stage at 34.52 feet on April 15. The gauge was forecast to fall out of action stage on April 22. A flood warning in effect for the area on April 19 was scheduled to expire late in the day on April 21.
Miter gate machinery replacement was reported closing the West Canal’s Leland Bowman Lock to daytime travel on April 18-19. The Black Bayou Bridge, located at Mile 237.5 in the West Canal, was shut 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on April 18 for repairs to the fender system.
Emergency repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock were concluded on April 13, ending a requirement for tows to lock with an assist boat, although locking with assistance remained “strongly” recommended on April 19. Repairs were noted at 6-11 hours on April 18.
Algiers Lock repair operations were said to block navigation between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, through an estimated May 4. Wait times for the week were quoted up to 30 hours, with 12 boats reported waiting to lock on April 19.
Colorado Lock maintenance and repairs are scheduled through April 28, limiting travel daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Waits topped out at 18 hours through midweek. Intermittent transit shutdowns were expected at the Morgan City Railroad Bridge, located at the West Canal’s Mile 121, until late June.
Repairs to the Bayou Boeuf Lock north chamber guidewall were scheduled to begin on April 17, closing the site to weekday travel between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Bayou Chene was available as an alternate route. The project is anticipated to run through May 19.
Intermittent Port Allen Lock waits were counted up to 25 hours, while Corps data showed Industrial Lock delays as high as 56 hours. Boats needed up to 11 hours to pass Calcasieu Lock, while Brazos Lock wait times were posted up to 17.5 hours. Weather delays continued to slow travel in the West Canal by up to 24 hours.
Mississippi River:
High water levels persisted on the lower river, restricting tow lengths by a reported 15-25%. Deliveries were delayed up to 48 hours as a result, sources said. The Vicksburg gauge was posted at an action-stage 36.44 feet and falling on April 19, with forecasts calling for levels to recede below the 35.0-foot action stage on April 19-20.
A mix of heavy rain and melting snow in the forecast for the Upper Mississippi River area was likely to trigger flooding between Oquawka, Ill., and St. Paul, Minn., in the week ahead. The conditions were expected to shut Locks 3-11 at a minimum, and potentially as far as Lock 17, for up to 15 days starting on April 23. Fresh snowfall was also possible following the rain, sources observed. Some freight operators were reported stopping travel at the upper river’s Mile 418 in advance of the expected shutdowns.
Lock 19 closed to daylight travel on April 18-19, leading to delays up nine hours. Daytime navigation was unavailable through the Ft. Madison Railroad Bridge on April 18-19, sources said.
Tows passing Lock 22 were delayed up to 5.5 hours. Locks 1-6, Lock 8, Lock 5A, and St. Anthony Falls Upper Lock and were offline on April 19, according to Corps lock data.
Illinois River:
Mechanical dredging at Dresden Island Lock begun on March 20 triggered intermittent delays in a wide 9-25 hour range through the week.
Marseilles Lock wait times were posted up to six hours, while 10.5 hour delays were noted at Starved Rock Lock on April 19. High water levels on the lower river kept wickets down at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, allowing vessels to pass both sites without locking.
On June 1, Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock are scheduled to close to navigation for approximately 120 days, effectively shutting the Illinois River to commercial navigation. Normal movements were tentatively scheduled to resume in October.
Ohio River:
Repairs to the JT Meyers Lock floating mooring system are set to continue through Aug. 20, with intermittent main chamber shutdowns expected. The lock’s auxiliary chamber will go offline Aug. 21 through Sept. 10 for miter gate repairs, followed by another primary chamber outage between Sept. 11 and Nov. 17.
The Dashields Lock main chamber is projected to go offline April 24 through May 20 for gate replacement, while the McAlpine Lock north chamber is due to close May 15 through June 15 for miter gate machinery repairs, forcing all traffic to lock through the south chamber.
The Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock saw waits in a wide 11-26 hour range through the week.