US Gulf:
Gate work at Algiers Lock, needed to repair damage from a vessel collision in July, will completely block navigation at the site through Dec. 1. Tows were reported detouring through the Port Allen Route, resulting in 24-48 hour delays. The shutdown at Algiers kicked off on Oct. 2.
Bayou Sorrel Lock is scheduled to close from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily for guidewall repairs. Long waits, as well as the shutdown at Algiers Lock, have forced lock operators to adapt, however, extending morning locking hours to include any vessel that arrived before 4:30 p.m. the prior day. The project is scheduled to run into March 2024. Waits were noted at 10-27 hours for the week.
Brazos Lock is closed to navigation between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily through Nov. 29. Intermittent waits were observed in a wide 7-24 hour range through the week. Bayou Chene dredge work scheduled through Nov. 30 prompted slow-travel warnings in the area.
Port Allen Lock delays spiked above 50 hours late in the week due to excess traffic from the Algiers Lock shutdown. Corps data showed 42 tows waiting to lock on Oct. 12. Sporadic 5-12 hour waits were noted at Colorado Lock, while travel remained unavailable through Harvey Lock due to reverse head conditions caused by low water levels on the Lower Mississippi River.
Mississippi River:
Water levels continued to recede on the Mississippi River and its tributaries during the week. Depths at Cairo, Ill., fell to 4.54 feet on Oct. 8, the gauge’s lowest point since 2.90 feet was recorded on Nov. 21, 1901, prior to the construction of the modern lock and dam system on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.
Cairo depths improved to 6.38 feet on Oct. 12, though forecasts predicted a drop to 4.60 feet on Oct. 13, ahead of a slow increase in levels projected to begin next week. Some shippers expected passage through Cairo to be suspended when levels fall below the five-foot mark.
Due to the conditions, towing widths were reduced to a maximum of four barges between St. Louis and Cairo, while five-barge widths were allowed between Cairo and Vicksburg, Miss., where depths were recorded at a low-stage 0.76 feet and falling slowly on Oct. 12.
Loading drafts were reduced by 5-10% between St. Louis and Cairo, sources said, while tows traveling southbound on the lower river were reduced by 20-25%. Northbound tows were restricted to 65-70% of normal capacity. Sources noted draft reductions of 30-35% through the St. Louis harbor, where depth readings showed (-)1.63 feet at midweek.
Groundings continued to be reported, including at Mile 920 of the lower river, and channel depths topped out at nine feet in some locations. Barge counts were restricted by 15-40% south of Cairo, depending on location and vessel horsepower. Memphis depths were reported at a low-stage (-)11.51 feet and holding steady on Oct. 12.
Dredging was underway at Miles 294, 538, and 742 of the lower river. Channel work was reported at the upper river’s Mile 11 and Mile 301, while work at Miles 221-225 was expected soon.
Many upper river locks are scheduled to close for the winter navigation season between Dec. 5 and March 11, 2024. Most NOLA loadings concluded in the first week of October for destinations above Clinton, Iowa, while cargos traveling south of Clinton were expected to continue releases through the third week of October.
Locks 18-27 are anticipated to remain open throughout the winter, conditions permitting.
Illinois River:
Low water levels persisted on the Illinois River, prompting draft reductions in the 5-10% range. Dredging was reported at Mile 40, while wickets were raised at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock. Corps data put Marseilles Lock waits at 15 hours during the week.
Ohio River:
Ohio River loading drafts were reduced by 10-15% due to low water levels. Monongahela River drafts continued at a maximum 8.5 feet.
Dredging at Miles 967-975 was extended once again, sources said. Originally scheduled to conclude on Sept. 24, the project is now tentatively slated to run through the end of the October. Southbound tows are currently able to transit the area during daylight hours, while northbound tows are restricted to overnight lockages.
The primary chamber at John T. Myers Lock is shut through Nov. 6 for repairs and maintenance, prompting tows to pass through the auxiliary chamber. The project was previously expected to wrap up on Nov. 17. Delays were reported in a wide 44-80 hour range through the week.
The secondary chamber at Montgomery Lock is closed through Oct. 17, after which the site’s primary chamber will go offline from Oct. 17 through Nov. 22. The secondary chamber will shut again on Nov. 22-26, followed by an additional primary chamber shutdown scheduled for Nov. 26-Dec. 22.