US Gulf:
Leland Bowman Lock operators continued to enforce two-hour wait times between lockages due to low water levels, leading to 24-56 hour delays. A reported 33 tows were queued to pass the site on Sept. 14.
Reverse head conditions kept Harvey Lock closed for the week, sources said. Daytime shutdowns began on Sept. 11 in the Morgan City, La., area for bridge repairs, leaving transit unavailable at Mile 1 of the Port Allen Route between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. through Sept. 25.
A planned repair closure at Algiers Lock was pushed back to Oct. 2 and will run through Dec. 1. Guidewall work at Bayou Sorrel Lock, underway through March 2024, slowed navigation from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.
Brazos Lock repairs, reported blocking travel daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., resulted in delays up to 23 hours. The project is scheduled through Nov. 29. Dredging at Bayou Chene, set to run through Nov. 30, prompted ongoing slow-travel warnings in the area.
Port Allen Lock waits ran up to five hours during the week, according to Corps data, while intermittent 20-hour waits were observed at Industrial Lock. Travel delays reported up to two weeks or more in the Panama Canal could continue into mid-2024 due to drought conditions, according to reports.
Mississippi River:
Low-water conditions on the Lower Mississippi River intensified during the week, sources noted, forcing tighter towing restrictions. Loading drafts on northbound tows traveling between the Gulf and Cairo, Ill., were reduced by 25-30%, increasing from 20% one week earlier. Tows traveling downriver saw draft reductions of 20-25%, up from 15-20% at last report.
In addition, maximum barge counts were reduced by 15-40% on the lower river, depending on location and vessel horsepower, jumping from 10-15% noted previously. Altogether, the restrictions stretched delivery windows by 48-72 hours, above last week’s 24-48 hours.
Drafts continued to be reduced by 15% in the St. Louis area as well as on travel between St. Louis and Cairo. Towing widths were limited to four barges on the mid-Mississippi.
The river gauge at Vicksburg, Miss., was reported at a low-stage (-)2.37 feet and falling on Sept. 14, while the Memphis, Tenn., gauge returned a low-stage (-)10.22-foot reading. On the upper river, St. Louis was recorded at (-)3.47 feet and holding steady on Sept. 14.
Following numerous reported groundings, several dredges were working on the lower river, including at Miles 527-538 and 925-928, with delays reported at 24-36 hours through both locations. Dredging was expected in the Vicksburg area starting on Sept. 16.
Upper-river locks are scheduled to begin closing for the winter navigation season on Dec. 5, with spring reopening projected to commence on March 5-11, 2024. Barges destined for Clinton, Iowa, or higher are expected to conclude 2023 departures from NOLA during the first week of October, while cargoes delivered to ports below Clinton will continue loading into the third week of October. Locks 18-27 are scheduled to remain open throughout the winter season.
Illinois River:
Draft reductions on the Illinois River continued at 15% due to low water levels. Wickets at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock were noted in the raised position during the week, forcing tows to lock through both locations.
Repairs and maintenance at Brandon Road Lock, Dresden Island Lock, and Marseilles Lock are scheduled through Sept. 30, closing the river to commercial navigation.
Ohio River:
Maximum loading drafts remained at 10.0-10.5 feet on the Ohio River due to low water levels. Monongahela River drafts were capped at 8.5 feet.
Sources reported a temporary shutdown at Miles 967-975 during the week due to dredging. The area was partially reopened by Sept. 13, allowing southbound vessels to run during daytime hours and northbound tows to pass overnight. The project is tentatively scheduled through Sept. 24.
The John T. Myers Lock auxiliary chamber returned from miter gate repairs on Sept. 10, sources said. The main chamber subsequently closed on Sept. 11, forcing detours through the newly reopened auxiliary chamber until Nov. 17. Waits were reported up to 17 hours.
The primary chamber at Montgomery Lock is closed for repairs and maintenance through Sept. 25. Travel through the secondary chamber will be unavailable on Sept. 25-Oct. 17 and Nov. 22-26, while additional main chamber outages are planned for Oct. 17-Nov. 22 and Nov. 26-Dec. 22.
The Smithland Lock land chamber will shut from Sept. 22 through Oct. 21 for repairs, followed by a river chamber closure on Oct. 22-Nov. 20. Assist boat usage was compulsory on southbound lockages through Smithland during the week due to strong outflows.
Arkansas River:
Travel through the Port of Catoosa will be restricted to daytime hours until further notice, sources said. Joe Hardin Lock was closed for repairs on Sept. 11-15, and passage through Webbers Falls Lock was scheduled to be unavailable on Sept. 11-17.