U.S. Gulf:
Bayou Boeuf Lock movements were restricted to overnight hours only on weekdays, a Coast Guard posting indicated, leaving transit unavailable between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The lock returned to 24-hour accessibility on Saturdays and Sundays.
Bayou Chene was reportedly shut to overnight navigation for the week due to in-progress floodgate construction. The waterway was closed between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. nightly, leaving vessels to pass during daytime hours with a maximum 600 feet of length. Tows measuring wider than 54 feet were required to travel with an assist vessel. Wait times were reported in the 6-12 hour range.
An ongoing shoaling event reported at Miles 113-116 in the Atchafalaya River necessitated 10-foot draft limits through the area, according to a Coast Guard posting. Maximum tow lengths were set at 600 feet, with tows measuring longer than 400 feet strongly encouraged to travel with industry assistance. Towing widths were permitted up to 70 feet. The Coast Guard advised vessels to bypass the restrictions via a detour through the Port Allen Route.
Unassisted Algiers Lock movements were restricted to four standard barges or two 30,000 mt tankers per turn. Larger tows were possible when traveling with an assist vessel. The size limits will remain in place until further notice.
Belle Chasse Bridge construction activities will continue through late 2022, producing intermittent travel delays of up to 12 hours at a stretch. The bridge is located at Mile 3 in the West Canal.
Boats transiting Bayou Sorrel Lock reported delays of up to eight hours for the week, while Industrial Lock waits peaked at 25 hours. Transits through the Colorado Floodgates were counted up to 27 hours. The Corps reported Brazos Lock wait times up to 7.5 hours.
Mississippi River:
Diminishing water levels on the lower Mississippi River precipitated tighter restrictions during the week. Vessel drafts returned to maximum 9.5-10 foot drafts on the waterway, depending on location and direction of travel, a change from 9.5-11.5 feet noted one week earlier.
The river gauge at St. Louis returned a (-)1.18-foot reading on Jan. 26. Depths were expected to recede below the (-)3.0-foot mark on Feb. 3. Levels at Vicksburg crested at an action-stage 35.29 feet on Jan. 20, but were reported at 31.17 feet and falling on Jan. 26.
Channel reinforcement efforts in progress since Jan. 5 at the lower river’s Mile 642 were projected to continue through February. Tows moving in the downriver direction were reportedly delayed up to 12 hours at a time.
Upper river locks 1-21 were closed to navigation for seasonal maintenance, Corps data indicated. Lock 15 was scheduled to reopen on March 3, followed by Locks 5 and 7 on March 11. Locks 5A, 8, and 10 were projected to resume locking on March 17, while Lock 4 is tentatively scheduled to return to service on March 21, conditions permitting.
Illinois River:
Ice floes were reported slowing navigation and impeding lockages on the Illinois Waterway during the week. Wickets were raised at both LaGrange Lock and Peoria Lock, while ice couplings remained a requirement for all locks. Peoria lockages were recorded up to 5.5 hours due to the conditions, while tows passing through LaGrange Lock required up to 47 hours, up from nine hours in the prior report.
Marseilles Lock was reportedly shut to navigation on Jan. 22. Wait times were noted in an 8-17 hour range for the week.
A repair and maintenance project at Brandon Road Lock is scheduled to run from May 9 through Sept. 8, prompting expectations of significant delays. Daylight-hour shutdowns and 70-foot width restrictions are scheduled for May 9 through Aug. 14, followed by a complete lock shutdown from Aug. 15 to Sept. 4. Overnight lockages will resume on Sept. 5-8. The lock is scheduled to resume 24-hour access on Sept. 9.
Boats passing Starved Rock Lock required up to nine hours to lock during the week.
Ohio River:
The Corps announced a round of planned Emsworth Lock main chamber repairs set to begin on Feb. 22 and run through April 16. Movements will be available solely through the secondary chamber, with lockages limited to a single barge per turn. Delays are expected.
Dashields Lock’s auxiliary chamber remained shut to navigation for the week due to an underwater obstruction inhibiting operation of the downstream miter gate.
Proposed 2022 shutdowns on the Ohio River were reported to include operations at Hannibal Lock, likely to close the site’s primary chamber from July 5 through Oct. 8. A proposed Cannelton Lock repair and maintenance effort would limit movements between July 5 and Nov. 11, forcing detours through the auxiliary chamber.
On the Tennessee River, Kentucky Lock is scheduled to fully close to vessel traffic from Jan. 31 through Feb. 24 for repairs to the upper miter gates. The Corps has designated Barkley Lock as an alternate route, adding an estimated 1-2 days of travel time in each direction.
The primary chamber at Wilson Lock, located at the Tennessee River’s Mile 259.4 in Florence, Ala., will shut for maintenance from Feb. 23 through April 29. Vessels will be able to pass via the secondary chamber on a 24-hour schedule, while the main chamber will open temporarily on March 18-24 to pass any assembled traffic. During this window, the auxiliary lock will continue to pass tows running six or fewer barges.
Delays at Kentucky Lock were posted in a wide 11-38 hour range for the week. Tows moving through Wilson Lock needed up to 18 hours to pass the site.
Barkley Lock, on the Cumberland River, is shut to daytime navigation through Jan. 30 for repairs to the bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) system. The work kicked off on Jan. 15. Cheatham lock is tentatively scheduled for maintenance from May 16 through Aug. 4.