US Gulf:
Low water conditions forced towing restrictions in the US Gulf during the week, sources said. Southbound tows moving above New Orleans were limited to 10.5-foot drafts, while drafts for tows moving to the north were capped at 9.5 feet. Drafts were allowed up to 9.5 feet in both the East and West Canals.
Bayou Sorrel Lock was closed for guidewall repairs from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, prompting waits in a wide 5-12 hour range, down from last week’s 36-hour highs. Tows arriving before 4:30 p.m. were allowed to pass before work begins the next morning, and the closures were expected to pause when wait times push above the 24-hour mark. Lock operators reportedly focused on southbound lockages during the day, while northbound tows were given priority overnight. The project is set to run into March 2024.
The Coast Guard reported an eight-hour shutdown in the Intracoastal Waterway near Amelia, La., on Dec. 7 due to a channel obstruction. Travel was expected to resume at 2 p.m. local time.
Harvey Lock wait times improved for the week, with Corps data showing intermittent delays up to 12 hours, down from 2-3 days at last report. Harvey navigation is limited to 300-foot lengths and 70-foot widths whenever head conditions fall below 1.5 feet, and travel is restricted to daylight hours. The lock was shut completely from June 15 to Oct. 16 due to reverse head conditions.
Planned gate repairs at Bayou Boeuf Lock, located at Mile 93.3 of the West Canal, will prompt a series of four-day travel outages beginning in mid-January 2024.
Port Allen Lock waits were noted up to nine hours, falling from 2-4 days at last report, while delays at Industrial Lock ran up to 31 hours, Corps data indicated. Intermittent 6-8 hour wait times were reported at Colorado Lock. Tows passing Brazos Lock were delayed up to 19 hours during the week.
Mississippi River:
Towing restrictions continued on the Mississippi River due to low water levels. Loading drafts on northbound tows were cut by 20-25% on the lower river, while southbound drafts were reduced by 15-20%, unchanged from last week. Towing widths were capped at six barges on travel between Cairo, Ill., and the Gulf, down from the normal 7-8 barge limit, depending on vessel horsepower.
The river gauge at Memphis, Tenn., stood at a low-stage (-)7.38 feet on Dec. 7, with forecasts predicting a (-)9.9-foot reading on Dec. 21. Sources previously expected towing widths to fall to five barges on the lower river when Memphis levels dip below the (-)8.0-foot mark, forecast to occur on Dec. 15. Levels at Vicksburg, Miss., were reported at a low-stage 4.3 feet at midweek.
Loading drafts at St. Louis were reduced by 10-15% for the week, while the Corps dialed back draft limits by 5-10% between Cairo and St. Louis. The river gauge at St. Louis returned a (-)0.9-foot reading on Dec. 7.
Dredging was reported at Miles 738 and 486 of the lower river, as well as in the Baton Rouge, La., area, while a 24-hour shutdown was scheduled at Mile 925 on Dec. 7 for dredge work. Sources reported channel work at Miles 171-172, 95, 51-52, and 30 of the upper river.
Upper-river locks began closing for the winter navigation season on Dec. 4, sources said, while others were due to follow over the Dec. 11-18 period. Locks 11-16 and 18-20 are scheduled to remain open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. throughout the season, conditions permitting, while Locks 21 and 22 will be staffed to pass vessels 24/7.
Intermittent six-hour delays were reported at Lock 27 during the week.
Illinois River:
Loading drafts were reduced by 5-10% on the Illinois Waterway due to low water levels. Dredging was reported at Miles 226-228.
Wickets were raised at both Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock on Dec. 6, necessitating lockages through both locations. Corps data showed scattered 5-9 hour delays at Peoria, while eight-hour delays were noted at LaGrange. Dresden Island Lock waits peaked at 10 hours on Dec. 5-6.
Ohio River:
Sources put maximum loading drafts at 10.0 feet through most sections of the Ohio River, down from 10.5 feet at last report. Tows were restricted to 15 barges for both upriver and downriver travel.
The Montgomery Lock primary chamber is shut through Dec. 22 for repairs and maintenance, forcing delays up to 17 hours for the week. Due to strong outflows, assist boat usage was mandatory on southbound lockages through Smithland Lock. Dredging was reported at Mile 974. On the Tennessee River, Kentucky Lock is scheduled to shut for upper guidewall replacement from Jan. 22 to Feb. 15, 2024. Corps data showed Kentucky Lock delays as high as 43 hours during the week. Sporadic 10-45 hour waits were noted at Wilson Lock.