US Gulf:

Harvey Lock, shut since June 15 due to reverse head conditions, remained closed to navigation in mid-August. Planned repairs to the BNSF railroad bridge at Morgan City, La., are expected to begin in early September.

Algiers Lock gate repairs concluded on Aug. 12, ending several days of 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. transit stoppages. Repairs to the lock’s side gates are expected to close the site for 45-60 days in the fourth quarter, although firm dates were not yet announced on Aug. 17. Wait times at Algiers Lock ran up to 10 hours for the week.

Bayou Sorrel Lock was shut from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily for guidewall repairs, triggering waits up to 16 hours during the week. Work at the site is scheduled to continue into March 2024. An 18-hour shutdown previously planned for Aug. 14 was pushed back to Aug. 23, sources said.

Dredging scheduled through Nov. 30 at Bayou Chene triggered slow-travel warnings through the area. Repair-related shutdowns at Brazos Lock, set for 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, were projected to begin on Aug. 21, a delay from the previously scheduled Aug. 10 start.

Intermittent 5-14 hour delays were noted at Port Allen Lock, and wait times at Industrial Lock topped out at 11 hours during the week. Tows waited 4-10 hours to transit Colorado Lock, while Corps data showed sporadic 4-10 hour delays at Brazos Lock. Leland Bowman Lock waits topped out at five hours.

Mississippi River:                             

Rising water levels on the Upper Mississippi River allowed for increased loading drafts through the St. Louis area. Maximum drafts continued at 95% of normal levels on travel between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill.

Drafts were constrained by 20% on northbound movements between the US Gulf and Cairo, however, while maximum barge counts were restricted by 10-15%, resulting in 24-48 hour delivery delays.

The St. Louis river gauge, reported at 4.94 feet on Aug. 17, was expected to fall to negative levels on Aug. 23 en route to a projected (-)2.60 feet reading on Aug. 31. The Memphis, Tenn., gauge, posted at 3.36 feet on Aug. 17, was forecast to recede to (-)3.20 feet on Aug. 31. The low stage at Memphis starts at (-)5.00 feet.

Dredging at Mile 545 of the lower river was expected to trigger 24-36 hour delays, while a dredge reported working at Mile 742 was scheduled to reposition to Mile 644 soon. On the upper river, dredging was underway at Mile 166 during the week.

Old River Lock was closed for repairs on Aug. 14-17. The shutdowns will repeat on Aug. 21-24.

Lock 25 will close to navigation between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Aug. 25 and 31. Scattered 12-hour shutdowns are scheduled at the site in October, November, and December, concluding on Dec. 29. Eight-hour travel closures were planned through the bridge at Ft. Madison, Iowa, on Aug. 19 and 20.

Illinois River:

Maximum loading drafts were reduced by 5% on the Illinois Waterway due to low river levels. Wickets continued in the raised position at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock because of the conditions, forcing lockages through both locations.

Repairs underway at Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock are scheduled through approximately Sept. 30, effectively closing the river to commercial navigation.

Ohio River:

Loading drafts on the Ohio River continued at a maximum 10.0-10.5 feet due to low water levels. Monongahela River drafts were capped at 8.5 feet.

Floating mooring system repairs at the Ohio River’s John T. Meyers Lock were scheduled to conclude on Aug. 20, allowing travel to resume through the main chamber. The site’s auxiliary chamber will shut Aug. 21 through Sept. 10 for miter gate repairs, after which the main chamber will close once more between Sept. 11 and Nov. 17.

Montgomery Lock will undergo an period of alternating main and auxiliary chamber closures between Sept. 2 and Dec. 22. The main chamber will be offline Sept. 5-25, Oct. 17-Nov. 22, and Nov. 26-Dec. 22, while the auxiliary chamber will shut Sept. 2-5, Sept. 25-Oct. 17, and Nov. 22-26.

The land chamber at Smithland Lock is due to close Sept. 22 through Oct. 21 for repairs and maintenance, while the land chamber will be offline Oct. 22 through Nov. 20. Assist boat use was mandatory on southbound lockages during the week.

Sources reported intermittent shutdowns at the Emsworth Lock auxiliary chamber through Nov. 22 due to dive operations. Waits were noted up to 16 hours at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock, while boats passing Wilson Lock were delayed up to 24 hours during the week.

Arkansas:

Repairs are scheduled to close Joe Hardin Lock from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 11-15.