U.S. Gulf:
Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Taylor County, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, on the morning of July 7. Elsa strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane overnight on July 6, but saw sustained winds fall below the 75 mph threshold before coming ashore.
Forecasts warned of storm surges and flooding in Florida and Georgia, while tornado warnings were in effect in many parts of western Florida. After landfall, Elsa pressed northward into Georgia and the Carolinas, dropping significant rainfall along the way.
Rough weather, due in part to Elsa, was noted triggering intermittent rough-sea and high-wind delays in the Gulf for the week, particularly in the East and West Canals.
Guidewall damage continued to restrict Port Allen Lock travel, with unassisted westbound lockages reportedly limited to a single barge per turn. Vessels traveling to the west with two or more cargoes were required to use an assist vessel. Eastbound tows moving without assistance were capped at 650 feet of length. Delays up to nine hours were reported for the week.
Locking restrictions continued at Algiers Lock, where limitations on the length and width of tows passing the site without assistance limited movements to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers. Larger tows were allowed to pass with an assist vessel. Most waits were noted in the 4-7 hour range for the week, although a handful of intermittent delays were reported up to 25 hours.
Overnight travel through Bayou Chene remained unavailable due to ongoing construction activities and diving operations. Bayou Chene was shut nightly between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with 6-12 hour delays expected. Assist boat usage was required while the project is underway.
Industrial Lock waits were clocked up to 33 hours for the week, while 5-10 hour delays were observed at Bayou Boeuf Lock on July 6-7.
Mississippi River:
River levels in the St. Louis area dropped quickly below the 28-foot action stage on July 3, falling to 18.3 feet on July 7. The rapid drainage contributed to dangerously fast river flows, however, prompting the continuation of a 20 percent barge-count reduction on southbound vessels running between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill. In addition, tows were limited to running during daylight hours between Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Cairo.
The secondary chamber at Lock 27 was shut to navigation on July 6 for lower bullnose repair, and was set to remain closed through July 27. The site’s primary chamber will close Aug. 2-19 to facilitate repair of the upper bullnose.
Daylight-hour shutdowns for miter gate installation were expected at Lock 2 in the near term. Intermittent 4-12 hour shutdowns are predicted when the project is underway.
Delays were noted in the 3-12 hour range at Lock 14 for the week, while five-hour waits were reported through Lock 20.
Illinois River:
Falling levels on the Illinois Waterway prompted a return to navigation during the week, although tow lengths were restricted. Shutdowns were previously noted above Starved Rock Lock.
Limited travel is projected during the week ahead through the Beardstown Railroad Drawbridge. Bridge repair is expected to close the site to navigation from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on July 12-13.
Despite the falling water levels, wickets remained down at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, allowing vessels to transit both areas without locking.
Ohio River:
The north chamber at McAlpine Lock was closed for the week due to emergency dredging and repairs. Vessels were able to pass through the site’s lower chamber, with wait times heard up to five hours.
The Belleville Lock main chamber was inaccessible between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily on July 6-9 due to repairs. Boats were reported passing through the auxiliary chamber, sparking intermittent delays up to six hours.
The Meldahl Lock primary chamber returned from miter gate machinery repairs on June 29. Vessels had been noted passing through the site’s 600-foot auxiliary chamber while work was underway, triggering extensive delays.
The Markland Lock auxiliary chamber remains offline through an estimated Oct. 29 due to structural cracks in the miter gate, discovered in early 2020. Transit was said to remain available through the primary chamber, with few reported delays.
Cannelton Lock’s primary chamber is shut through Nov. 19 for repairs and maintenance, necessitating passage through the auxiliary chamber.
The main chamber at Montgomery Lock is scheduled to shut from July 26 through Aug. 24, with vessels detouring through the secondary chamber. The main chamber is scheduled to undergo one additional outage this year, from Oct. 18 to Dec. 17.
The primary chamber at Braddock Lock is projected to shut to navigation from Sept. 13 through Oct. 15, prompting a detour through the auxiliary chamber. The main chamber at Willow Lock is scheduled to go offline Oct. 1-31, with delays expected.
Elevated river levels prompted lock operators to lower wickets at Olmsted Lock, allowing vessels to transit through the navigational pass.
Bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) repairs were paused at Cumberland River’s Cheatham Lock during the week, allowing vessels to lock freely on July 2-11. The project’s final closure, officially scheduled to run July 12-22, was instead likely to conclude as early as July 15, sources said.
Arkansas River:
David D. Terry Lock navigation is projected to be unavailable from Aug. 27 through Sept. 9 due to dewatering and repairs. Intermittent transit blockages are anticipated ahead of the full shutdown, running Aug. 16-26.