US Gulf:
Low water levels held draft restrictions at 9.5 feet for northbound tows moving above New Orleans, sources said, while towing widths were capped at six empty barges or four loaded barges. Draft limits stood at 9.5 feet in both the East and West Canals. Shoaling was reported in the Galveston harbor and Houston Ship Channel during the week.
Ongoing guidewall repairs forced a daytime shutdown at Bayou Sorrel Lock on Dec. 16, and the lock was reportedly shut for 18 hours on Dec. 20. Repair work is set to run daily from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through March 2024, with intermittent delays expected. Wait times were posted at 14.5 hours on Dec. 21 after peaking above 20 hours earlier in the week.
Emergency dredging blocked Harvey Canal travel at Mile 2.8 on Dec. 18 through at least Dec. 23. Work was scheduled for 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a daily opening planned for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Repairs to the Grand Lake Bridge, located at Mile 231.5 of the West Canal, concluded on Dec. 16, according to a Coast Guard posting.
Bayou Boeuf Lock, located at the West Canal’s Mile 93.3, will undergo a series of four-day navigation stoppages for gate repairs starting in mid-January.
Repairs to the Ellender Bridge, at Mile 243 of the West Canal, will block weekday vessel traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Feb. 5 through April 12, 2024. Bridge repairs in the Morgan City, La., area will halt navigation at the West Canal’s Mile 121.3 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 16, 18, 23, 25, and 30, as well as on Feb. 1 and 6.
Wait times at Industrial Lock were reported in a wide 13-39 hour range during the week. Algiers Lock delays were posted up to 14 hours, while intermittent Brazos Lock waits were noted in the 5-13 hour range.
Mississippi River:
Towing restrictions continued at week-ago levels despite falling water levels at Memphis, Tenn. Northbound loading drafts were reduced by 20-25% from typical levels, while tows moving downriver saw 10-15% draft restrictions. Towing widths remained at a maximum of six barges, below the usual 6-8 barge limits, depending on vessel horsepower. Draft limits were pegged in the 9-10.5 foot range, depending on location.
Following a move above the (-)5-foot low stage threshold on Dec. 14-19, the river gauge at Memphis fell to (-)6.7 feet on Dec. 21, with levels expected to decline to (-)10.1 feet on Jan. 4, 2024. Water levels at Vicksburg, Miss., were cresting above that area’s five-foot low stage at 5.3 feet at midweek, though a reversal to 1.9 feet was predicted for early January.
Drafts were noted at a maximum nine feet through the St. Louis area. St. Louis depths posted at (-)2.97 feet on Dec. 21 were expected to slide to (-)3.8 feet by Jan. 4. Lock 25 was scheduled to close to navigation from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Dec. 18, 22, and 29.
Through-traffic has ended between St. Louis and St. Paul, Minn., for the 2023/24 winter navigation season, sources said. Locks 11-16 and 18-20 are scheduled to remain open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the winter, while Locks 21 and 22 will be staffed to pass vessels 24/7. Upper-river locks will begin opening for spring travel in March.
Most dredging activities on the upper and lower rivers were reportedly paused for the holidays. Work was expected to resume around Jan. 2.
Illinois River:
Loading drafts continued at a maximum nine feet on the Illinois River due to low water levels. Wickets continued in the raised position at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, forcing tows to lock through both sites. Wait times were noted up to eight hours at Peoria Lock.
Railroad bridge work blocked daytime travel at Mile 160.7 on Dec. 18-20. Construction at the McClugage Highway Bridge, located at Mile 165.8, shut navigation on Dec. 19-20, sources said. Delays ran in a 4-9 hour range at Dresden Island Lock.
Ohio River:
Draft levels continued at 9.5-11 feet on the Ohio River, depending on location. Maximum tow lengths were steady at 15 barges.
An unscheduled main chamber shutdown at Meldahl Lock pushed waits to 22 hours at the site, though delays had fallen below the 10-hour mark by Dec. 21. Southbound lockages through Smithland Lock were required to use an assist boat due to strong outflows, sources said.
The Montgomery Lock main chamber is due to return from repairs and maintenance on Dec. 22. Corps data pegged wait times in the 1-3 day range during the week.
Kentucky Lock, on the Tennessee River, will close for upper guidewall replacement from Jan. 22 through Feb. 15. Waits topped out at 16 hours at Kentucky Lock, while 10-17 hour delays were noted at Wilson Lock.