US Gulf:
Hurricane Francine made landfall near Morgan City, La., early on Sept. 12 as a Category 2 storm, the first hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana since 2021. Most Gulf Coast shipping operations were suspended ahead of Francine’s arrival, and sources reported additional barges en route to the area on Sept. 12 to aid in restarting operations.
Prior to the hurricane’s landfall, sources noted tighter towing restrictions on movements above New Orleans due to low water levels. Northbound loading drafts were reduced by 20-25% above NOLA, up from 10-15% noted previously, while southbound drafts were cut by 15-20%. Tow lengths were rolled back by 5-10 barges, depending on vessel horsepower. Delays were estimated in the 24-72 hour range.
Guidewall repairs at Bayou Sorrel Lock are projected to continue through Oct. 30, limiting movements from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. No lockages were reported on Sept. 11-12 due to Hurricane Francine.
Repairs at Brazos Lock blocked weekday travel between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Most wait times were noted in the 5-12 hour range, though a handful of delays were posted up to 57 hours. The effort is scheduled to run through October.
Harvey Lock remained shut during the week due to reverse head conditions. No tows have locked through the site since Aug. 27, Corps data indicated.
Port Allen Lock, Industrial Lock, Algiers Lock, Bayou Boeuf Lock, and Calcasieu Lock were offline on Sept. 12, Corp data showed. Prior to closing on Sept. 11, Industrial Lock showed wait times up to 18 hours on Sept. 9-10. Movements were delayed up to 13 hours through Colorado Lock in the western Gulf during the week, while intermittent Brazos Lock waits were reported above the 50-hour mark.
Mississippi River:
Towing restrictions intensified during the week due to low water levels on the lower river. Loading drafts on northbound tows were reduced by 20-25%, rising from 10-15% at last report, while southbound loading drafts were slashed by 15-20%, depending on location. Tow lengths were reduced by 5-10 barges, subject to vessel horsepower, stretching delivery times by an estimated 24-72 hours.
The gauge at Vicksburg, Miss., was noted at a low-stage 5.0 feet and falling on Sept. 12. Forecasts called for area levels to recede to 2.7 feet on Sept. 26. The St. Louis gauge was posted at 1.3 feet and falling at midweek, and the Memphis, Tenn., gauge returned a low-stage (-)7.9-foot reading on Sept. 12. Memphis was projected to slide to (-)8.9 feet in the two-week forecast.
Dike work at Mile 759 forced daily shutdowns on southbound travel between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The effort is scheduled to run through Sept. 18, with no impact to upriver travel expected.
Pipeline removal at Mile 158 is underway through Sept. 24. While no shutdowns are expected, channel restrictions could slow travel while work is in progress, sources said.
Final release dates for NOLA-loaded barges bound for upper-river ports between Dubuque, Iowa, and St. Paul, Minn., were expected in the first week of October, sources said. Tows leaving from NOLA for unloading between St. Louis and Clinton, Iowa, will see final releases through the third week of October. Upper-river locks will undergo seasonal shutdowns between December and March 2025.
Illinois River:
Maximum loading drafts were reported at 9.25 feet for Miles 1-231 of the Illinois River, down from 9.5 feet at last check. Drafts were 9.0 feet for tows moving above Mile 231. Lockport Lock at Mile 291 is scheduled to shut completely on Jan. 14-March 11, 2025, for vertical lift gate installation, blocking movements to and from the Chicago area.
Ohio River:
Maximum Ohio River loading drafts fell to 10 feet for both northbound and southbound travel during the week, off from 10-10.5 feet noted previously. Tow lengths were capped at 15 barges for the full length of the river.
Work begun on Sept. 8 at the Markland Lock main chamber will force detours through the auxiliary chamber for 19 hours daily through Oct. 6. Delays were noted up to 16.5 hours during the week.
The Hannibal Lock primary chamber is offline for miter gate repairs through Nov. 8, triggering waits as high as 18 hours. McAlpine Lock is closed to southbound travel from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Nov. 30, with delays reported up to nine hours. Belleville Lock will experience a round of 30-day main and auxiliary chamber shutdowns before the end of the year.
Delays were reported up to 16 hours at Kentucky Lock, on the Tennessee River. Intermittent 11-14 hour waits were noted at Wilson Lock during the week.
Arkansas River:
The Van Buren Bridge at Mile 300.8 returned from repairs on Sept. 6, sources said, two days ahead of schedule. Webbers Falls Lock, closed for miter gate inspections since late August, resumed navigation on Sept. 8.