US Gulf:
Algiers Lock is closed for gate repairs through Dec. 1, leaving tows to detour through the Port Allen Route. Corps data showed delays in the 24-48 hour range for the week.
Guidewall repairs were underway at Bayou Sorrel Lock from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, prompting waits up to 43 hours. In an effort to mitigate the long wait times, tows arriving before 4:30 p.m. were allowed to lock before the site closes the following morning. The shutdowns were said to be temporarily suspended whenever wait times push above the 24-hour mark.
Low head conditions continued to create long backups at Harvey Lock. Corps data showed delays up to 43 hours, below the 5.5 days reported last week. Tows will remain limited to 300-foot lengths and 70-foot widths whenever head conditions track below the 1.5-foot mark, sources said. The site was closed to navigation from June 15 to Oct. 16 due to reverse head conditions.
Brazos Lock access was limited from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily for repairs and maintenance, resulting in intermittent 5-14 hour wait times. The project is slated to run through Nov. 29. Slow-travel restrictions were in place at Bayou Chene through Nov. 30 due to dredging in the area.
Travel through the Ellender Bridge, located at Mile 243 of the West Canal, will be unavailable between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Nov. 11-12. The closures will repeat on Nov. 18-19.
Wait times at Port Allen Lock were noted up to 30 hours. Industrial Lock saw intermittent 5-16 hour delays during the week.
Mississippi River:
Improved conditions allowed for lighter travel limits on the Lower Mississippi River during the week. Restrictions on northbound loading drafts were noted at 20-25% below normal, down from 25-30% at last report, while downriver drafts softened to 15-20% from 20-25% one week earlier. Maximum towing widths increased to six barges from the prior five-barge limit.
Forecasts from the National Weather Service hinted at an imminent return to tighter restrictions, however. The river gauge at Vicksburg, Miss., was above the 5.00-foot low stage at 5.54 feet on Nov. 9, but was projected to slide to 2.90 feet on Nov. 23.
At Memphis, Tenn., levels returned to a low-stage (-)5.4 feet at midweek following a (-)4.81-foot crest on Nov. 6, and forecasts indicated a (-)9.50-foot reading on Nov. 23. Restrictions on towing widths are anticipated to tighten to five barges once the Memphis gauge falls below (-)8.0 feet, expected on Nov. 15.
Dredging was reported on the lower river at Miles 710 and 486-488, while potential travel delays were noted in the Baton Rouge, La., harbor due to dredging.
Maximum loading drafts were reported at 10-15% on travel through the St. Louis harbor, while loading weights were reduced by 5-10% between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill. The gauge at St. Louis, reported at 1.58 feet on Nov. 9, was forecast to recede to (-)1.70 feet on Nov. 23. Dredges were noted working at Miles 481 and 40 of the upper river.
Upper-river locks are tentatively scheduled to close for the winter navigation season between Dec. 5 and March 11, 2024.
Illinois River:
Loading drafts continued to see 5-10% reductions on the Illinois River due to low water levels. Drafts were reportedly capped at 9.5 feet at Miles 1-152, and at 9.25 feet for Miles 153-230. Maximum tow lengths were set at 15 barges for both north- and southbound travel.
Sources noted raised wickets at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock due to low water, forcing lockages at both locations.
Ohio River:
Southbound loading drafts continued to see a 10-15% reduction. Drafts remained at 8.5 feet on the Monongahela River.
Repair and maintenance operations at the John T. Myers Lock primary chamber, previously scheduled to wrap up on Nov. 6, were extended through at least Nov. 9. Delays were quoted in the 3-5 day range, steady from the prior report.
The main chamber at Montgomery Lock is closed to navigation through Nov. 22. The auxiliary chamber will shut on Nov. 22-26, followed by an additional main chamber outage on Nov. 26-Dec. 22.
Dredging continued at Miles 967-975, sources said, forcing staggered one-way travel through the area. Southbound tows were permitted to pass during daylight hours, while northbound boats passed overnight. The project was previously expected to conclude on Oct. 31.
The river chamber at Smithland Lock is closed through Nov. 22, forcing detours through the land chamber. Boats traveling downriver through Smithland were required to use an assist boat. The Olmsted Lock river chamber is scheduled to close Nov. 13-23 for maintenance, leaving the land chamber open to traffic.
Delays were noted up to 15 hours at the Tennessee River’s Kentucky Lock. Intermittent 5-18 hour waits were observed at Wilson Lock.