U.S. Gulf and Atlantic:
Pockets of restricted navigation persisted throughout the Gulf during the week due to the lingering effects of Hurricane Ida.
The Corps announced a shutdown of the West Canal between New Orleans and Morgan City due to a need for widespread dredging expected to run into October. Previously, the West Canal was shut at Miles 18-20 due to a channel blockage, while shoaling reported at Miles 23-33 proved difficult for passing vessels. Untethered barges and sunken storage tanks were previously noted at Miles 53-54.
Floodgate maintenance limited towing widths in the Houma Canal, while movements were unavailable through the waterway below Bayou Provost. Passage through the Claiborne Avenue Bridge, located near Industrial Lock, was limited to the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily due to a bridgetender shortage.
Unassisted movements through Algiers Lock remained capped at four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers, although longer tows were reportedly possible when accompanied by industry assistance.
Belle Chasse Bridge construction will prompt intermittent navigation shutdowns at the West Canal’s Mile 3 through late 2022. Delays are expected up to 12 hours at a stretch.
Delays were noted up to 55 hours through Port Allen Lock, with 41 tows counted in line to lock on Sept. 21. Most Bayou Sorrel Lock travel fell in the 4-9 hour range, and movements through Industrial Lock climbed to as high as 76 hours for the period. Waits ran up to 5.5 hours through the Colorado Floodgates.
Tropical Storms Peter and Rose were reported forming in the Atlantic during the week. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted Peter weakening on Sept. 21 as it passed north of Puerto Rico, while Rose, located in the central Atlantic, was “barely a tropical storm,” according to the NHC on Sept. 21. Both storms weakened below tropical cyclone status by midweek.
Tropical Storm Sam formed in the mid-south Atlantic on Sept. 23. Sam was forecast to consolidate into a Category 1 hurricane on Sept. 25, with further strengthening expected by Sept. 26.
Mississippi River:
Due to continued salvage operations necessitated by Hurricane Ida, restrictions remained in force for lower Mississippi River travel through Miles 108-168. Vessel speeds were limited to minimum safe levels, while barge counts were capped at 36 units in the southbound direction. Tows moving upriver were permitted to run a maximum of 42 barges. Six-barge width limits were also noted through the area.
Towing cuts in the 5-10 barge range continued below St. Louis due to low levels and fast flows. Dredge Hurley was reported working at the lower river’s Mile 742, although no travel delays were anticipated. Lock 27 delays were generally seen in the 4-10 hour range for the week.
Illinois River:
Wickets remained in the raised position at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock for the week, forcing lockages through both locations.
Ohio River:
Construction activities were noted shutting the Pike Island Lock primary chamber between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 21-23, leaving tows to pass through the auxiliary chamber. The shutdowns were slated to repeat on Sept. 28-30.
Maintenance in progress at the Cannelton Lock main chamber is projected to prompt detours through the secondary lock chamber through Nov. 19. Auxiliary chamber closures were also planned or the Nov. 1-19 period.
The Montgomery Lock main chamber was slated to shut Oct. 18 through Dec. 17. A recent main chamber shutdown at Montgomery produced delays up to 4-6 days.
A round of planned repairs has halted movements through the Hannibal Lock primary chamber through Oct. 29. Tows were heard passing through the 600-foot secondary unit while the project is underway.
An underwater obstruction was noted knocking the Dashields Lock auxiliary chamber offline during the week. The blockage was reportedly impeding normal miter gate operation.
Willow Island Lock’s auxiliary chamber, which has been shut since Aug. 16 for repairs, was slated to return to service on Sept. 30. A main chamber closure is due to follow on Oct. 1-31, with delays expected.
The secondary chamber at Markland Lock is offline through an estimated Oct. 29 due to a damaged miter gate. First reported in early 2020, movements have been relegated to the site’s main chamber for the entirety of the closure.
Rising water levels were projected to allow Olmsted Lock operators to begin lowering wickets during the week. Upon the completion of the typically 24-hour process, tows were expected to begin passing the site via the nonlocking navigational pass.
The Tennessee River’s Wilson Lock was reportedly shut for inspections from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sept. 22. Staggered one-way lockages continued through the location, with southbound tows passing during daytime hours, followed by northbound vessels at night. Corps data revealed intermittent delays up to 16 hours for the week.
Kentucky Lock is slated to shut Nov. 1 through Dec. 10. The Corps has scheduled one four-day reopening period during the closure to pass waiting traffic, tentatively slated for Nov. 25-28. Most waits for the week were noted in the 5-16 hour range.
Bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) maintenance that kicked off on Sept. 16 at the Cumberland River’s Barkley Lock was scheduled to disrupt navigation daily, from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., through Oct. 5.
The Monongahela River’s Lock 2 main chamber is closed to traffic through Oct. 15. Tows were heard detouring through the auxiliary chamber while work is underway, with waits quoted up to eight hours for the week.
On the Allegheny River, Lock 6 has remained in an emergency shutdown situation since Aug. 30, sources indicated. The site’s reopening timeline remained murky on Sept. 22.
Arkansas River:
Emergency dredging operations necessitated by a quick decline in water levels was noted forcing a full navigation shutdown in the vicinity of Mile 9-10 at midweek. Transit was projected to remain unavailable through at least the end of the week, and possibly into the next.
Intermittent daytime transit outages were scheduled at Joe Hardin Lock on Oct. 19-21, a Corps posting indicated. On the heels of the Joe Hardin project, similar daylight-hour stoppages are on the books for Emmett Sanders Lock on Oct. 26-28.