US Gulf:
Travel was unavailable at the Lower Mississippi River’s Mile 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 1 due to the removal of an underwater discharge line, sources said. Guidewall repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock scheduled into June forced intermittent travel stoppages between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Waits were recorded up to 19 hours during the week.
Miter gate repairs shut Harvey Lock for five hours on Jan. 29. The closures were scheduled to repeat from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 30-Feb. 2, pushing midweek wait times to 12 hours. The lock has been closed to overnight navigation since October due to low head conditions.
The BNSF Railroad Bridge, located at Mile 121.3 of the West Canal, was shut from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 30-Feb. 1. A similar closure was scheduled for Feb. 6. Tows will be unable to transit the St. Claude Avenue Bridge, at Mile 6.5 in the West Canal, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 24. Ellender Bridge work will block weekday movements through Mile 243 of the West Canal from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Feb. 5-April 12.
Bayou Boeuf Lock was closed for temporary repairs on Jan. 29, sources said. Wait times registered up to 15 hours when travel resumed. Additional work at the site, previously scheduled for mid-February, was pushed back to March, sources said, and will necessitate three separate closures lasting four days each.
Navigation through both Colorado Lock and Brazos Lock was restricted to one loaded barge or two empty barges per pass during the week. Boats transiting Colorado Lock saw waits up to 25 hours, and 11-37 hour delays were reported at Brazos Lock.
Intermittent 5-12 hour delays were noted at Port Allen Lock, while tows transiting Industrial Lock waited up to 41 hours to pass. Algiers Lock wait times were put at six hours on Feb. 1, while midweek Calcasieu Lock delays topped out at 28 hours.
Mississippi River:
In a sharp reversal from the low levels reported in early January, recent rains have prompted a significant rising trend on the lower river.
The gauge at Vicksburg, Miss., was reported at 27.8 feet on Feb. 1 after posting a low-stage 4.4-foot reading on Jan. 4, and was projected to approach the 35.0-foot action stage at 34.9 feet on Feb. 10. Baton Rouge, La., was expected to follow a similar trajectory, moving from 23.4 feet at midweek to an estimated 29.5 feet on Feb. 12-13, just shy of the area’s 30.0-foot action stage.
The Memphis gauge was posted at 19.6 feet on Feb. 1, well above the (-)1.1 feet recorded on Jan. 4, and was under a flash flood watch until further notice due to the potential failure of the Arkabutla Dam, located in Mississippi’s DeSoto and Tate Counties.
Channel work reported to begin on Jan. 23 at the lower river’s Mile 249 will run 10 hours per day through Feb. 29, potentially blocking northbound travel. Revetment operations at Mile 214, said to halt navigation from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily since Jan. 21, were scheduled to conclude on Feb. 2.
With locks located on the upper Mississippi tentatively set to open for spring navigation on March 4-16, barges loading from New Orleans for upper-river destinations south of Dubuque, Iowa, were expected to begin releasing in the second week of February. Cargos traveling north of Dubuque were anticipated to start releases in the second half of February.
In the meantime, Locks 11-16 and 18-20 are open for locking on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through March 9, conditions permitting, while travel through Locks 21 and 22 is available 24/7.
Southbound navigation was limited through the upper river’s Mile 49.5 during the week due to digging activities. Closures were reported between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. until an estimated Feb. 3.
Illinois River:
Despite warming temperatures, icy conditions continued to impact movements on the Illinois River during the week. Sources reported tow size reductions and ice coupling usage for the full length of the waterway, while higher volumes of flowing ice created an environment of fast currents and high water levels, sources said, forcing reduced travel speeds.
Intermittent Dresden Island Lock waits were reported up to five hours. Wickets were lowered at Peoria Lock and LaGrange Lock, allowing for lock-free travel through both locations.
Ohio River:
Lengthy wait times were reported near Willow Island Lock due to excess drift. Meldahl Lock travel continued to be delayed by an unscheduled main chamber shutdown. Delays stretched as high as four days, according to Corps data, rising from 46 hours at last report.
Valve repairs at Greenup Lock are scheduled to run from March 4 to April 12, while planned work at Markland Lock and Cannelton Lock will limit movements at both sites between April 22 and June 7.
Upper guidewall replacement underway at Kentucky Lock, on the Tennessee River, was scheduled to continue through Feb. 15. Waits were posted as high as 36 hours for the week, while travel was delayed up to nine hours through Wilson Lock. Old Hickory Lock, on the Cumberland River, will shut intermittently between March 18 and May 9.
Arkansas River:
Lock 2 will close to daytime travel on Feb. 5-9. A shutdown of the Van Buren Bridge, located at Mile 300, was delayed to March 11-29. The bridge is expected to open on March 20 to clear waiting traffic.