US Gulf:
Ongoing gate repairs at Algiers Lock will block navigation through the site until Dec. 1. Tows are detouring through the Port Allen Route during the closure, adding an estimated 24-48 hours to transit times. The project, needed to repair damage from a July vessel collision, began on Oct. 2.
Bayou Sorrel Lock is shut from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily for guidewall repairs. Extended wait times have forced lock operators to delay morning closing hours, however, allowing any vessel that arrived before 4:30 p.m. the prior day to complete the locking process. The Corps announced plans to suspend restrictions entirely at the site once wait times reach the 24-hour mark. The project is scheduled to run into March 2024. Delays topped out at 17 hours during the week.
Harvey Lock returned from an extended shutdown on Oct. 16, with intermittent 7-21 hour delays reported. Length and width restrictions will continue as long as the risk of reverse head conditions remains, sources said, limiting tows to 300-foot lengths and 70-foot widths during periods of low positive head conditions. Harvey had been shut to navigation since June 15.
Brazos Lock is offline from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily through Nov. 29, with waits noted up to 20 hours. Dredging at Bayou Chene, in progress through Nov. 30, forced slow-travel warnings in the area.
Sources reported considerable delays at Port Allen Lock, largely due to excess traffic from the Algiers Lock shutdown. Wait times were posted at 2-4 days on Oct. 19 with 52 tows in the queue. Industrial Lock waits ran up to 23 hours. Delays to vessel berthings in the Gulf continued due to slowdowns in the Panama Canal.
Mississippi River:
Historic low water levels reported on sections of the Mississippi River forced slowdowns and capacity reductions during the week, sources said.
The river gauge at Memphis, Tenn., fell to a record (-)11.85 feet on Oct. 16, surpassing the prior (-)10.81-foot record set on Oct. 21, 2022. Restrictions on loading drafts were hiked to 25-30% of capacity on both north- and southbound travel between Cairo, Ill., and Vicksburg, Miss., while loading weights were reduced by 20-25% between Vicksburg and the Gulf. Vicksburg depths were posted at a low-stage (-)0.92 feet on Oct. 19.
Towing widths were reduced to five barges between Cairo and Mile 303 of the lower river, down from the typical 6-8 barges, depending on horsepower, adding an estimated 48-72 hours to transit times.
Dredging was reported at Miles 742, 480-481, 437, 293, and in the Baton Rouge, La., harbor during the week, with intermittent 24-hour shutdowns noted at Miles 742 and 437. One-way traffic restrictions were in place at Miles 924-926 and 920-921 due to multiple groundings in the area. On the upper river, dredging was noted at Miles 221, 158-159, and 38.
Low levels at St. Louis held draft restrictions to 30-35% below normal in the harbor, while tows were limited to four-barge widths between St. Louis and Cairo, off from area’s typical five barges. Sources reported 5-10% reductions in loading capacity for the mid-Mississippi River. St. Louis depths were reported at 0.44 feet at midweek, though forecasters expected a decline to (-)2.90 feet on Nov. 2.
Final releases from NOLA for upper river delivery were expected in the next several days. Most upper river locks are scheduled to close to navigation between Dec. 5 and March 11, 2024.
Illinois River:
Loading draft restrictions persisted at 5-10% of normal capacity on Illinois River travel due to low water levels. Dredging underway at Miles 226-228 was expected to conclude on Oct. 25. Wickets were raised at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock due to low water levels, forcing tows to lock through both locations. Delays ran up to nine hours at LaGrange.
Ohio River:
Draft limits on the Ohio River were reported at 9-10.5 feet, depending on location, stretching from 10-10.5 feet the week before. Low flows held Monongahela drafts to a maximum 8.5 feet, sources said.
Dredging at Miles 967-975 is scheduled through the end of the October. Southbound tows have been allowed to pass during daylight hours, while northbound tows are restricted to overnight transits.
The John T. Myers Lock main chamber is closed to navigation through Nov. 6 for repairs and maintenance, forcing detours through the secondary chamber. Delays were observed in a wide 51-84 hour range during the week.
The Montgomery Lock auxiliary chamber returned from repairs on Oct. 17. Following the reopening, the site’s main chamber closed on Oct. 17 and will remain unavailable through Nov. 22. The auxiliary chamber will shut once more on Nov. 22-26, followed by an additional main chamber shutdown on Nov. 26-Dec. 22.
Arkansas River:
The Arkansas River was effectively closed to navigation during the week due to low water levels at Montgomery Point Lock. Dredging to restore movement through the site was expected to begin on Oct. 21.