U.S. Gulf: Shippers quoted Algiers Lock wait times in the 8-10 hour range last week. Peak hours were once again higher than average due to the Harvey Lock closure, which prompted the Corps to route vessels through Algiers instead. The Harvey Lock shutdown was extended through May 15.
Waits at Bayou Sorrel fell in the 10-12 hour range, with an average of seven boats in line for service. Port Allen Lock reported 10-hour waits with 10 tows waiting to lock, and Industrial Lock transits required just 4-5 hours last week.
A tentative 120-day Industrial Lock closure is looking closer to reality, shippers said. With funding in place to dredge the Baptiste Collette channel for use as an alternate route, the sole remaining hurdle is for water levels to drop low enough to allow work to begin. Recent river forecasts predict suitable conditions in early August. Dredging of the channel is slated for late May through early June, with the lock closure itself penciled in for Aug. 1 through Nov. 29.
The Baton Rouge gauge returned to action stage last week, reading 30.41 feet and rising on May 11, with a peak of 31 feet forecast for May 15. Flood stage begins at 35 feet. The gauge at Natchez read 43.57 feet, up from 37.94 feet the week before, with flood stage starting at 48 feet.
Calcasieu Lock reported delays in the 3-4 hour range, and the Charenton, East Calumet, and West Calumet floodgates were unavailable for the week due to high water.
The Brazos River floodgates remained under restriction due to high flows, with delays pushed to 6-12 hours on May 10, sources said. Dredging at Brazos River Crossing is expected to trigger intermittent daylight-hour lock closures through May 16.
Colorado Lock wait times were noted in the 2-3 hour range. Guidewall repairs on both the east and west locks began May 9 and will likely spark closures during work hours, the Corps said. The repairs are due to run during daytime hours, Monday through Friday, through June 30.
Lower Mississippi River: Southbound Tows running 6,000 horsepower or more were subject to restrictions last week. Shippers said barge counts were being determined on a tow-by-tow basis, with reductions of up to 20 percent reported.
Levels at Vicksburg were noted at 35.38 feet on May 12, above the 35-foot action stage. The gauge was expected to hover around 35.3 feet through May 16. Memphis depths were recorded at 20.19 feet, up from 16.77 feet the week before.
Upper Mississippi River: Wait times at the Mississippi River’s Lock 27 fell in the 1-3 hour range for the week, while Lock 20 delays were reported at 1-2 hours. Mel Price Lock navigation required an additional 1-3 hours.
St. Louis levels were at 23.39 feet on May 12, and were forecast to peak around 23.8 feet before starting a rapid descent. A reading of 14.8 feet was predicted for May 25.
Illinois River: Marseilles Lock transits ran about an hour for the week, and waiting at Starved Rock Lock was reported in the 1-2 hour range. The Corps halted locking operations at Peoria Lock last week, joining the LaGrange Lock dam in the down position. Vessels were able to transit both locks freely.
Ohio River: Racine Lock delays were just over an hour for the week, and Greenup Lock wait times fell closer to two hours on May 11.
The Corps put Emsworth and Montgomery Lock wait times at 1-2 hours for the week. A main chamber shutdown is scheduled at Montgomery Lock starting on May 16. Plans call for the lock to open to traffic on May 28-30, and once more on June 4-5, before reopening June 10.
The main chamber at Emsworth Lock is slated for closure July 5 through Aug. 10, with delays expected. The Corps issued a notice that the lock would reopen temporarily on July 16-17 and July 30-31 to clear waiting traffic. The auxiliary chamber will remain available throughout.
High-water conditions paused locking at Locks 52 and 53 for the week, allowing vessels to pass freely, but Lock 53 still required 1-2 hours for passage. Vessels continued to access the Olmsted pass last week.
Depths at Cairo were recorded at 35.22 feet and falling on May 11, higher than the 32-foot action stage, but levels were expected to descend to 33.1 feet by May 15. The Cincinnati gauge showed 31.4 feet and falling, lower than the 40-foot action stage.
Greenup Lock main chamber maintenance is scheduled to continue through Sept. 30, with major delays anticipated. Sources described peak wait times of up to 10 hours for the week while traffic was routed through the lock’s auxiliary unit.
The auxiliary chamber at New Cumberland Lock is closed through May 27. The Corps plans to make the chamber available on May 15-16 to clear accumulated traffic.
Repairs shuttered the Tennessee River’s Pickwick Lock on May 5-6, and Watts Bar Lock will see sporadic shutdowns on June 3-23 while repairs are performed. With no auxiliary chamber at Watts Bar, the closures will effect a total river shutdown. Chickamauga Lock is slated to close July 11 through Aug. 11, closing the river. Machinery repairs will force intermittent service interruptions at Fort Loudon Lock on June 3-11.
The Monongahela River’s Braddock Lock and Dam river chamber remained unavailable last week due to equipment failure, forcing traffic through the site’s land chamber instead. Repairs closed the land chamber between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on May 11.
Arkansas River: Bottom seal replacement at Webbers Falls Lock will stop upstream locking on May 16-22. Structural rehab and painting work will shutter the lock’s downstream side from Aug. 22 to Sept. 12.