US Gulf:
Mandatory two-hour wait times remained in force between lockages at Leland Bowman Lock due to low water levels, sources said, resulting in 24-48 hour delays. Corps data showed 32 tows waiting to pass the site on Sept. 7.
Transit was unavailable at Harvey Lock due to reverse head conditions. Repairs to the BNSF railroad bridge at Morgan City, La., previously scheduled to start on July 17, were pushed back to Sept. 11-25. The bridge will close to navigation from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, resulting in 12-18 hour delays.
Algiers Lock is slated to shut for 45-60 days for repairs, beginning on Oct. 1. Algiers saw intermittent 4-7 hours waits during the week. Guidewall repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock slowed travel from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, with minimal waiting reported for the week. The effort is on the books through March 2024.
Dredging underway through Nov. 30 at Bayou Chene prompted slow-travel warnings in the area. Brazos Lock repairs were underway daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., triggering waits up to 12 hours.
Drought-related delays in the Panama Canal, which have slowed deliveries to the US Gulf in recent weeks could linger for up to 10 months, according to the American Journal of Transportation, citing an interview with shipping industry research analyst Chara Georgousi. Transit delays have been noted stretching to two weeks or more since August.
Mississippi River:
Loading drafts were reduced by 15% in the St. Louis area due to low water levels. Mid-river drafts were also lowered by 15% from typical levels.
Tows traveling upriver between the US Gulf and Cairo, Ill., saw drafts slashed by 20%, while downriver movements were cut by 15-20%, depending on vessel horsepower. In addition, lower-river tows saw barge counts reduced by 10-15%, resulting in delivery delays of 24-48 hours.
The river gauge at St. Louis was noted at (-)2.95 feet on Sept. 7, while Memphis, Tenn., levels tracked at a low-stage (-)6.98 feet. The gauge at Vicksburg, Miss., was reported at 7.52 feet and falling on Sept. 7, and was projected to recede below the area’s 5.0-foot low stage early on Sept. 15. A heat advisory was in place at Baton Rouge, La., at midweek.
Dredging reported at the lower river’s Mile 538 was expected to wrap up on Sept. 8, sources said, while sources expected rolling 24-hour shutdowns at Mile 621 due to channel work. Sources reported a dredge operating at Mile 125 of the upper river. Old River Lock repairs and maintenance were scheduled through Sept. 15, prompting delays in the 4-6 hour range.
Upper-river locks are scheduled to close for the winter navigation season between Dec. 5 and March 11, 2024. Final loadings from NOLA were expected in the first week of October for barges traveling north of Clinton, Iowa, while tons destined for points south of Clinton were anticipated to load through the third week of October. Locks 18-27 are currently set to remain open for the duration of the winter season.
Illinois River:
Illinois River loading drafts were reduced by 15% due to low water levels, sources said. Wickets were raised at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, necessitating lockages through both locations. Waits ran up to five hours at Peoria during the week.
Repairs and maintenance are scheduled through Sept. 30 at Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock, effectively closing the river to commercial navigation.
Ohio River:
Maximum Ohio River loading drafts held steady at 10.0-10.5 feet due to low water levels. Drafts on the Monongahela River, reported at critical low stage, continued at a maximum 8.5 feet, sources said.
The secondary chamber at John T. Myers Lock is scheduled to return from miter gate repairs on Sept. 10, after which the site’s main chamber will shut from Sept. 11 through Nov. 17, prompting detours through the secondary chamber. Delays ran in a wide 16-51 hour range through the week, according to Corps data. Olmsted Lock repairs were scheduled through Sept. 24, triggering waits up to 10.5 hours.
The Montgomery Lock auxiliary chamber was reportedly shut on Sept. 2-5, followed by a main chamber outage on Sept. 5-25. After the current closure, the main chamber is due to shut again on Oct. 17-Nov. 22 and Nov. 26-Dec. 22, while auxiliary chamber travel will be unavailable on Sept. 25-Oct. 17 and Nov. 22-26.
The land chamber at Smithland Lock is scheduled to close from Sept. 22 through Oct. 21 for repairs, after which the river chamber will be offline from Oct. 22 through Nov. 20. Assist boat usage was mandatory on southbound trips through the lock due to strong outflows, sources said.
Arkansas River:
Travel through the Port of Catoosa remained limited to daytime hours during the week. Joe Hardin Lock is scheduled to shut for repairs on Sept. 11-15. Travel through Webbers Falls Lock will be unavailable on Sept. 11-17.