US Gulf:
High winds and strong storms on May 16 damaged shipping equipment, sources said, impacting area movements throughout the Gulf. Normal operations were expected to resume late in the week.
Extended delays continued at Industrial Lock on May 23 in part due to a closure at Demopolis Lock, on the Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway, that was scheduled to end on May 22. Wait times peaked at 70 hours on May 22, down from 73 hours at last report, but remained above the 60-hour mark on May 23.
Repairs at Bayou Boeuf Lock are scheduled to begin in late May and continue for roughly 30 days, halting weekday travel from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Two full shutdowns expected during the project will completely block travel for 83 hours at a time.
Daytime travel outages continued at Brazos Lock due to a project underway since August 2023. Navigation was limited between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., producing delays ranging from five hours to five days, according to Corps data. Just five vessels were in line to lock on May 23, though sources reported more than 50 tows unofficially queued on May 21.
A guidewall repair project in progress at Bayou Sorrel Lock is set to run through Oct. 30, slowing travel from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Most delays were noted in the 25-38 hour range, rising from 5-11 hours last week. Repairs and maintenance at Calcasieu Lock, said to shut the site to weekday travel from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., were expected to wrap up on May 31.
Port Allen Lock delays ran up to 19 hours, and most Algiers Lock wait times topped out around the 10-hour mark, Corps data showed. Calcasieu Lock travel ran up to 13 hours, and intermittent 4-7 hour waits were noted at Colorado Lock during the week.
Mississippi River
High water levels extended towing restrictions on the Mississippi River, sources said. Tow lengths were reduced by 20% at Miles 1-200 of the upper river, and some shippers were reported voluntarily limiting navigation to daylight hours due to the difficult conditions.
The Rock Island Railroad and Highway Drawbridge, located at Mile 482.9 on the upper river, will be close to marine travel during the morning of June 8 for the Quad Cities Heart Walk.
Loading drafts firmed to 11.5 feet on northbound travel through the St. Louis area, sources said, while southbound barges were capped at 12.5 feet. Drafts were previously limited to 9.5 feet and 10.5 feet, respectively.
Tow sizes remained limited on the lower river due to high water levels, however. Sources noted reductions based on horsepower, with southbound tows required to maintain a minimum of 240 horsepower per loaded barge, up to a maximum of 36 barges. Northbound tows were required to hold a minimum speed of 3 mph through the bridges at both Memphis, Tenn., and Vicksburg, Miss.
Following a crest at 40.3 feet on May 20-21, the Vicksburg river gauge was noted at an action-stage 40.2 feet and receding at midweek, with forecasts predicting a fall below the 35-foot action stage on May 30. The gauge at Baton Rouge, La., was cresting at 33.6 feet on May 23, with levels predicted to sink below the region’s 30-foot action stage on May 31. A flood warning at Baton Rouge was slated to expire on June 1.
Dredging at Mile 107 is scheduled to conclude on May 26. Intermittent 7-15 hour delays were reported at Lock 15, and Corps data showed a handful of vessels waiting 5-14 hours to pass Lock 27 during the week.
Illinois River:
Loading drafts were limited to 10 feet in both the north and southbound directions below Mile 160, sources said. Drafts were capped at 9.5 feet for Miles 160-231 and nine feet above Mile 231. Maximum tow lengths were reduced to 12 barges on May 14, sources said.
Starved Rock Lock wait times were pegged at 4-6 hours during the week. Wickets remained in the lowered position at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, allowing tows to pass both locations without locking.
Ohio River:
Draft reductions continued in the 10-15% range on the Ohio River, with sources referencing maximum 10-11.5 foot drafts, depending on location and direction of travel. Tow lengths were permitted up to 15 barges in both directions.
Scheduled maintenance running through June 7 at Cannelton Lock and Markland Lock produced minimal delays during the week. Markland Lock will see an additional shutdown on June 10-28 for miter gate repairs, with delays expected.
Machinery repairs are slated for June 1-July 11 at Racine Lock, and slowdowns are likely at Hannibal Lock from June 15 to Nov. 7 due to planned dewatering and miter gate repairs. In addition, players expect intermittent 12-hour delays at Racine in the weeks preceding the project.
Belleville Lock will see alternating 30-day main and auxiliary chamber shutdowns during the second half of the year. The John T. Myers Lock primary chamber will close to navigation from Aug. 21 through Nov. 9, sources noted. A similar closure in October 2023 produced delays up to four days in length.
Delays were noted up to 17 hours at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock during the week. Boats waited up to seven hours to pass Pickwick Landing Lock.
Arkansas River:
Navigation impacts reported since May 5 on the Arkansas River due to high flows continued during the week, sources said, though the conditions continue to slowly improve.
Van Buren Bridge repairs scheduled for Aug. 16-Sept. 8 will completely shut the site to navigation. The Corps is reportedly planning a single opening to pass queued vessels following the ninth day of work. The bridge is located at Mile 300.8.