US Gulf:
Algiers Lock is shut for gate repairs through Dec. 1, forcing detours through the Port Allen Route. Average travel times increased by 24-48 hours as a result, sources said.
A guidewall repair project at Bayou Sorrel Lock closed the site to navigation daily from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., prompting waits up to 34 hours. Tows checking in before 4:30 p.m. were able to lock before work resumes the next morning, and the shutdowns were expected to pause whenever delays rise above the 24-hour mark. Lock operators were reported prioritizing southbound lockages during daytime hours, while northbound vessels received preference overnight.
Low head conditions continued to prompt long wait times at Harvey Lock, driving delays to 35 hours for the week, down from 85 hours at last report. Tows are capped at 300-foot lengths and 70-foot widths whenever head conditions sink below 1.5 feet, a Corps posting indicated. Reverse head conditions closed Harvey Lock completely between June 15 and Oct. 16.
Brazos Lock movements were limited between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily, triggering intermittent 11-22 hour waits. Work at the site is scheduled to continue through Nov. 29. Slow-travel warnings at Bayou Chene are in effect through Nov. 30 due to dredging.
The Ellender Bridge was closed to navigation during daytime hours on Nov. 18-19. The bridge is located at Mile 243 of the West Canal.
Wait times at Port Allen Lock were reported up to 33 hours due to the Algiers Lock shutdown. Industrial Lock waits ran in a wide 5-21 hour range, while seven-hour delays were noted at Colorado Lock at midweek.
Mississippi River:
Low water conditions persisted on the Lower Mississippi River, holding restrictions steady from week-ago levels. Loading drafts for both north- and southbound tows were reduced by 20-25% from typical levels, while towing widths were limited to five barges through Mile 921.
The river gauge at Memphis was posted at a low-stage (-)9.0 feet on Nov. 21. Forecasters expected levels to peek above the (-)5.0-foot low stage to (-)4.7 feet on Nov. 28-29, before receding to (-)7.3 feet on Dec. 5. Sources expected towing widths to tighten to five barges, off from the current six-barge limit, when Memphis levels move below (-)8.0 feet. The Vicksburg, Miss., gauge was noted at a low-stage 1.9 feet at midweek.
Dredging continued at Miles 738 and 486 of the lower river, prompting intermittent 24-hour delays at both locations.
Loading weights were reduced by 10-15% on travel through St. Louis, unchanged from last week, while maximum drafts were cut by 5-10% between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill. Maximum barge drafts continued at 9.0 feet between St. Louis and St. Paul, Minn., while maximum tow sizes remained at 12-15 barges, depending on location. Dredging was reported at Miles 274 and 69-70.
The St. Louis river gauge stood at (-)0.89 feet on Nov. 21. Forecasters expected levels to slip to (-)1.9 feet on Dec. 5.
Upper-river locks are scheduled to shut for the winter navigation season on Dec. 4, with reopening tentatively set to begin over the March 5-15 period. Locks 11-16 and 18-20 are currently scheduled to operate from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, between Dec. 17 and March 9, while Locks 21 and 22 will remain open 24/7.
Illinois River:
Loading weights on the Illinois River were reduced by 5-10% due to low water levels. Maximum barge drafts were reported at 9.0 feet as of Nov. 10, while tows were allowed up to 15 barges on both up- and downriver travel.
Sources noted raised wickets at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock due to low water, forcing lockages through both sites. Dredging continued at Miles 226-228.
Ohio River:
Sources reported maximum loading drafts at 9-10 feet on the Ohio River, depending on location, down 10-15% from typical levels. Towing complements were capped at 15 barges in both directions.
The auxiliary chamber at John T. Myers Lock was closed through Nov. 22 for miter gate repairs. Corps data showed wait times in the 5-16 hour range for the week.
The Montgomery Lock main chamber was scheduled to return from maintenance on Nov. 22, briefly ending a spate of detours through the secondary chamber. The site’s auxiliary chamber is due to shut Nov. 22-26, followed by an additional main chamber closure on Nov. 26-Dec. 22.
Work at the Smithland Lock river chamber was also due to wrap up on Nov. 22. The Olmsted Lock river chamber was closed for maintenance through Nov. 23, forcing boats to transit through the land chamber.
On the Tennessee River, Kentucky Lock is due to go offline Jan. 22 through Feb. 15, 2024, for upper guidewall replacement. Delays ran up to 18 hours at Kentucky Lock, while boats transiting Wilson Lock waited up to 17 hours to pass.