US Gulf:
Transit remained unavailable through Harvey Lock due to reverse head conditions, a result of low water levels on the Lower Mississippi River. Guidewall repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock shut the site from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily, triggering delays up to 21 hours. The project is scheduled to run through March 2024.
Repairs at Brazos Lock closed the lock to navigation between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily through an estimated Nov. 29. Intermittent delays were reported in a wide 5-23 hour range. Dredging at Bayou Chene, scheduled through Nov. 30, prompted slow-travel warnings in the area.
Emergency end gate work at Algiers Lock, needed to repair damage from a vessel collision in July, kicked off on Oct. 2, closing the lock to navigation through an estimated Dec. 1. Alternate routes are expected to add 24 hours or more to travel times.
Corps data showed delays up to 24.5 hours at Port Allen Lock on Oct. 5. Industrial Lock passages required up to 11 hours, while intermittent 6-13 hour waits were recorded at Colorado Lock.
Mississippi River:
Low water levels prompted a 30-35% reduction in loading drafts through the St. Louis area, while tows moving between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill., saw 5-10% reductions in loading weight. Towing widths were reduced to a maximum of four barges between St. Louis and Cairo.
Loading drafts on northbound tows running between NOLA and Cairo were slashed by 25-30%, depending on horsepower, while barge loadings were reduced by 20-25% on southbound travel. Sources noted nine-foot depth readings in some locations, contributing to the tight restrictions. In addition, barge counts were reduced by 15-40% per string on the lower river, depending on location and horsepower, resulting in 48-72 hour delays.
The Vicksburg, Miss., river gauge was posted nearly four feet below the area’s low-stage threshold on Oct. 5, at 0.55 feet and holding steady. The Memphis, Tenn., gauge returned a low-stage (-)9.28-foot reading, while the St. Louis gauge was reported at (-)1.1 feet and falling at midweek.
A grounded vessel forced a halt to navigation at the lower river’s Mile 584 on Oct. 4, sources said. Dredging was underway at Miles 742, 621, and 541, prompting intermittent 24-hour shutdowns. Sources reported channel work at Mile 7 of the upper river, while a barge working on the Illinois River during the week was expected to move to Miles 221-225 of the upper Mississippi soon.
Upper-river locks are scheduled to shut for the winter navigation season between Dec. 5 and March 11, 2024. Final loadings from NOLA were expected to depart in the first week of October for tows traveling to Clinton, Iowa, or above, while loads destined for locations south of Clinton were projected to load through the third week of October. Locks 18-27 are likely to remain open throughout the winter, sources said.
Illinois River:
Loading drafts were reduced by 5-10% on the Illinois Waterway due to low river levels, and sources noted dredging underway at Miles 74-75. Wickets were raised at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, forcing delays up to five hours.
A 120-day repair project comprising Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock has concluded, sources said. All of the affected locks had been reopened during the week, although sources reported widespread congestion and lengthy delays on Oct. 5, including waits up to 32 hours at Marseilles and 59 hours at Starved Rock.
Ohio River:
Ohio River loading drafts continued to see reductions in the 10-15% range. Monongahela River drafts were restricted to 8.5 feet, sources said.
Dredging at Miles 967-975 was set to continue through Oct. 10, more than two weeks beyond the previous Sept. 24 scheduled end. Boats traveling downriver were permitted to transit the area during daytime hours, while northbound tows passed overnight.
The John T. Myers Lock main chamber is closed through Nov. 17 for repairs and maintenance, prompting boats to detour through the secondary chamber. Delays were posted up to 44 hours for the week.
The Montgomery Lock auxiliary chamber is shut through Oct. 17. Following the current closure, the main chamber is scheduled to go offline on Oct. 17-Nov. 22 and Nov. 26-Dec. 22, while the auxiliary chamber will see an additional shutdown on Nov. 22-26.
The land chamber at Smithland Lock is shut through Oct. 21 for repairs and maintenance. The river chamber is due to close Oct. 22 through Nov. 20. Boats traveling southbound through Smithland were required to lock with an assist boat because of unpredictable outflows.
On the Tennessee River, Kentucky Lock delays were posted up to 12 hours, while boats transiting Wilson Lock waited up to 26 hours to pass.