U.S. Gulf and Atlantic:
Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29 as a strong Category 4 storm, triggering widespread flooding, wind damage, and outages of electricity and other essential services, including marine logistics.
Prior to Ida’s arrival, the Coast Guard ordered a complete barge evacuation of the Mississippi River south of Mile 73, while an Aug. 28 Port Condition Zulu order halted navigation on the lower river below Mile 305, in the East Canal, and much of the West Canal. No firm estimates on a return to navigation were immediately available, although some speculated movements could require weeks to normalize.
Algiers Lock travel was unavailable on Aug. 31 due to restrictions in place due to Hurricane Ida. Once reopened, unassisted tows locking through the site will remain subject to ongoing length and width restrictions in effect until further notice. Tows measuring more than 60 feet wide are capped at 600 feet of total length, while those below 60 feet in width will be permitted lengths up to 700 feet. The size caps have effectively limited movements to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers. Boats locking with assistance are allowed lengthier tows, however.
Belle Chasse Bridge replacement efforts underway through late 2022 were also expected to trigger intermittent transit stoppages of up to 12 hours when river movements resume. The bridge is located at Mile 3 in the West Canal, near Algiers Lock.
Port Allen Lock, Bayou Sorrel Lock, Industrial Lock, Algiers Lock, Harvey Lock, and Bayou Boeuf Lock were shut to navigation on Aug. 31 due to Hurricane Ida. Delays were noted in a wide 3-13 hour range through the Brazos Locks system. Leland Bowman Lock waits ran up to five hours for the week.
The National Hurricane Center was tracking the movements of Tropical Depression Kate on Aug. 31. The “poorly organized” storm was not expected to impact the U.S., with current forecasts calling for the storm to fizzle over Atlantic shipping lanes later in the week.
A tropical disturbance located on the coast of the African country of Guinea on Aug. 31 evolved into Hurricane Larry on Sept. 2. Larry was projected to strengthen into a Category 4 storm in the days ahead, although forecasts disagreed on whether the storm might pose a threat to North America.
Mississippi River:
Dredging at Mile 607 reportedly concluded on Aug. 26. Dredging had been reported at the site, as well as nearby Victoria Bend, since early August. Movements remained slow, and were anticipated to persist into mid-September.
Reduced water levels on the lower river continued to necessitate 5-10 barge towing reductions on northbound travel.
A pair of navigational shutdowns are in the works at the Merchants Memorial Rail Bridge, located in the St. Louis area, as part of a new phase of the structure’s $222 million replacement project that kicked off in 2019. The closures, set to total 24 hours each, are scheduled to begin on Sept. 10 and Sept. 13, river conditions permitting. The replacement project is scheduled to run through 2022.
Lower bullnose repairs at Lock 27 concluded on Aug. 27. The work began on Aug. 2 after being delayed from July. The main chamber project, slated to repair the site’s upper bullnose, is expected to be rescheduled imminently.
Illinois River:
Wickets were reported in the raised position at LaGrange Lock and Peoria Lock during the week. Minimal wait times were recorded.
Ohio River:
The main chamber at Pike Island Lock was shut for maintenance between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Aug. 31 through Sept. 2, prompting detours through the auxiliary chamber. Minimal delays were heard during the closure.
The Montgomery Lock primary chamber returned to normal operation on Aug. 27, ending a period of repairs and maintenance that kicked off on July 26. Wait times were quoted up to 6.5 hours for the week. The chamber is scheduled to close once more between Oct. 18 and Dec. 17, forcing vessels to pass through the secondary chamber.
The main chamber at Cannelton Lock was projected to remain offline through Nov. 19 due to repairs and maintenance underway since June 21. Passage is available through the auxiliary chamber. The site’s auxiliary chamber was expected to see intermittent closures on Nov. 1-19 due to planned repairs.
The Markland Lock auxiliary chamber is shut to vessel traffic through an estimated Oct. 29 due to structural damage to the miter gate, first reported in 2020. Navigation continued through the main chamber.
Braddock Lock’s main chamber is scheduled to shut from Sept. 13 through Oct. 15 for maintenance, with tows anticipated to detour through the secondary chamber.
Willow Lock is scheduled to see a main chamber outage on Oct. 1-31, necessitating detours through the auxiliary chamber. The Willow Lock secondary chamber was noted closing for repairs ahead of the primary chamber shutdown, from Aug. 16 to Sept. 30.
The Hannibal Lock main chamber is set to close from Sept. 13 through Oct. 29 for repairs, prompting tows to pass exclusively through the 600-foot secondary chamber. Falling water levels prompted lock operators to raise wickets at Olmsted Lock, forcing a return to locking at the site.
Damage reported at the Tennessee River’s Wilson Lock prompted a complete halt to navigation during the week. No timeline to resume lockages was immediately available.
Kentucky Lock closures were announced for Nov. 1 through Dec. 10. Navigation was likely to be completely unavailable during the period, save for a reopening window slated for Nov. 25-28. Kentucky Lock delays were quoted up to 36 hours for the week, increasing from 16 hours in the prior report.
Bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) maintenance is scheduled to begin on Sept. 16 at the Cumberland River’s Barkley Lock. Work at the site is projected to limit movements daily between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., through Oct. 5.
On the Monongahela River, Lock 2 primary chamber access is scheduled to be unavailable from Sept. 13 through Oct. 15 due to planned maintenance. Traffic will run through the secondary chamber, with delays expected.
Navigation remained blocked at Lock 6 on the Allegheny River during the week due to ongoing emergency repairs.
Arkansas River:
Dewatering and repair operations that began on Aug. 27 at David D. Terry Lock were noted shutting navigation through Sept. 9, effectively closing the Arkansas River at the site.
Joe Hardin Lock is scheduled to see intermittent travel shutdowns on Oct 19-21. Closures were expected at Emmett Sanders Lock on Oct. 26-28.