U.S. Gulf: A river swell working from the Lower Mississippi into the Gulf is expected to trigger slowdowns in the region. High water levels were likely to delay transits by 1-2 days, sources said.
Industrial Lock waits were noted at 15-20 hours. In a reversal from recent weeks, most of the delay was traced to a backlog in the canal-side queue.
The Brazos River Floodgates were closed daily between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. for dredging and repairs. The dredge is scheduled to run through April 20, after which repair operations will limit Monday-through-Friday traffic to overnight hours only through May 31. Sources estimated total Brazos-area delays at 2-4 days for the week.
Additional dredging is underway on a 24-hour, seven-day schedule at Miles 395-400 in the West Canal. The Corps is requiring vessels to contact the dredge for passing instructions prior to arrival.
A 60-day Harvey Lock closure will kick off on Sept. 30. Bayou Boeuf Lock is tentatively scheduled for a similar closure, but that project could be rescheduled for 2018.
Mississippi River: Shippers described transit difficulties throughout the Mississippi River. Flooding continued between Hannibal and Cape Girardeau, Mo., with the latter gauge registering 34.33 feet on April 11, well above the 32-foot threshold for minor-stage flooding. The National Weather Service (NWS) predicted levels would drop below action stage on April 17-18.
In the St. Louis area, tows were cut by five boats, resulting in 2-3 day navigation delays. The high levels prompted bridge restrictions in St. Louis, limiting bridge crossings to daylight hours only until levels recede below 25 feet. The St. Louis gauge read 26.97 feet and falling on April 11.
Southbound tows were slashed by 5-10 barges at Cairo, Ill., adding an additional 2-3 days to transits. The Lock 15 auxiliary chamber closed for repairs on April 4. The work is set to run through Aug. 3. Shippers quoted Lock 27 wait times at five hours for the week.
Illinois River: Flooding on the Upper Illinois Waterway has effectively closed the upper river, shippers said. Many shippers reported tows held to little or no movement since March 31, with no immediate relief in sight. Delays were tentatively estimated at a minimum 11 days based on the hold time so far, but some admitted navigation could be frozen for much longer.
Tow lengths were cut to 12 barges on the middle and lower spans of the river, leading to additional delays in the 3-4 day range.
The Beardstown gauge showed moderate-flood stage depths at 19.94 feet on April 11. NWS forecasted levels to recede into the minor-flood stage on April 18-19, but offered no predictions on a return to restriction-free transit.
Ohio River: Fast flows continued to slow transits on the Upper Ohio River last week. Some southbound vessels were capped at eight-barge tows, while rising levels south of Pittsburgh added further delays. Shippers estimated a total 3-5 day delay on transits through the region.
The Corps cut southbound tows by 5-10 barges at Cairo due to flooding in the region. The Cairo gauge registered levels at 40.39 feet on April 11, above the 40-foot moderate-flood stage.
The auxiliary chamber at Markland Lock is closed for repairs through April 26. Markland Lock will shutter its main chamber May 1 through Sept. 29, with delays expected. Ironton-Russell Bridge demolition will close the river to daytime transit at Miles 326-328 on May 17, May 29, and June 15.