US Gulf:
Sources reported ongoing draft reductions in the US Gulf on Jan. 9. Loading drafts were restricted to 9.5 feet on northbound travel above New Orleans, while widths were capped at six empty barges or four loaded barges. Drafts were permitted up to 9.5 feet in both the East and West Canals.
A Jan. 5 Coast Guard posting warned of high winds in the Houston Ship Channel and Lower Galveston Bay, and a Jan. 11 wind advisory from the National Weather Service covering navigation above New Orleans was due to expire on Jan. 12.
Bayou Sorrel Lock guidewall repairs were scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, prompting intermittent 5-29 hour waits during the week. Previously expected to run into March, the project was extended through June 26, sources said. An additional daytime shutdown reported on Jan. 6 was expected to repeat on Jan. 13, while a scheduled concrete pour will shut the lock completely from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 18.
Harvey Lock was closed to daytime traffic on Jan. 4-11, with daily openings planned for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Corps data showed a single tow successfully locking for the week through Jan. 11. Harvey Lock has been shut to overnight traffic since October due to low head conditions.
Sources continued to expect a series of four-day closures at Bayou Boeuf Lock for miter gate repairs starting sometime in January, though no firm dates were available as of Jan. 10.
Navigation through the BNSF Railroad Bridge at Mile 121.3 of the West Canal will be unavailable from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 16, 18, 23, 25, and 30, as well as on Feb. 1 and 6. Repairs to the Ellender Bridge, at the West Canal’s Mile 243, will block movements from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, from Feb. 5 through April 12.
Port Allen Lock waits peaked at seven hours on Jan. 9-10, and Industrial Lock delays were reported in a wide 6-23 hour range through the week. Algiers Lock wait times topped out at 15 hours, while wind delays drove midweek delays to 25 hours at Calcasieu Lock. Brazos Lock waits were quoted up to 21 hours.
Mississippi River:
Restrictions continued on the Lower Mississippi River, though rising water levels predicted in the two-week forecast suggested a possible return to normal operations for the first time in months.
For now, however, northbound loading drafts were reduced by 15-20% on Jan. 10, sources said, unchanged from one week earlier, while downriver drafts ran 10-15% below normal. Maximum towing widths were steady at seven barges, representing a 10-15% reduction from typical barge counts.
The river gauge at Vicksburg, Miss., was noted at 9.8 feet and rising on Jan. 11, above the low-stage 4.4 feet noted one week before, while forecasts predicted a rise to 16.3 feet on Jan. 25. The Memphis gauge held above that area’s (-)5.5-foot low stage at (-)1.8 feet at midweek, with forecasts expecting an 11.4-foot reading on Jan. 20.
Dredging was reported at Mile 663 of the lower river, while a second dredge was undergoing maintenance in the Vicksburg area during the week. On the upper river, dredging was noted at Miles 166, 169, and 274.
Draft reductions continued at 10% in the St. Louis area on Jan. 10, sources said, while maximum drafts were cut by 5-10% on travel between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill.
With the upper river closed to through-traffic until mid-March, Locks 11-16 and 18-20 were expected to remain open for locking on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through March 9, conditions permitting. Locks 21 and 22 are reportedly staffed for lockages 24/7. Upper-river locks are scheduled to begin reopening for spring navigation on March 4-11.
Illinois River:
Subzero temperatures forecast to begin on Jan. 12 drove shippers to use ice couplings during the week, sources said, while low water levels continued to necessitate 5-10% draft reductions on the full length of the river. Raised wickets at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock pushed wait times up to 10 hours and 20 hours, respectively. Dredging continued at Miles 226-228.
Ohio River:
Sources reported a 5-10% reduction in loading weights on southbound Ohio River travel, translating to maximum drafts of 10-11.5 feet, depending on location. Draft limits were reported at 9.5-10.5 feet one week earlier. Maximum tow lengths continued at 15 barges.
Unplanned shutdowns continued to impact Meldahl Lock travel. Delays were noted up to 37 hours on Jan. 11, up from 14 hours at last report. Greenup Lock will shut for valve repairs on March 4 to April 12, and both Markland Lock and Cannelton Lock are expected to see limited operations from April 22 to June 7.
On the Tennessee River, Kentucky Lock will close for upper guidewall replacement from Jan. 22 to Feb. 15. Waits were quoted up to 17 hours at Kentucky Lock during the week, while 5-21 hour delays were observed at Wilson Lock.
Daytime closures are scheduled at the Cumberland River’s Old Hickory Lock from March 18 to April 1, followed by a complete shutdown from April 1 through May 9.