U.S. Gulf: Rising water levels continued to plague New Orleans last week, prolonging high water restrictions and delays in barge pickup and drop-off. Originally predicted to crest on June 18, new forecasts saw levels cresting on July 8.
Delays of 24-26 hours were reported at Algiers Lock last week with an average of 10 boats queued, and navigation through Industrial Lock required an extra 12-14 hours, with 11 boats on standby. Bayou Sorrel Lock delays were put at 8-10 hours, while vessels waited 6-8 hours to transit Port Allen Lock.
High-water conditions and a current measured at 4.4 miles per hour restricted movement on the Brazos River last week. Brazos Lock was backed up with a reported 20 vessels in line for locking on June 24.
Rising flows at Colorado River locks were a cause for concern, shippers noted, although no restrictions had been instituted as of June 24. The Colorado Floodgates are offline for repairs during daylight hours through July 3.
The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock was offline during the daytime on June 23 for gate pit cleaning, and Calcasieu Lock is closed to daylight navigation through June 30.
Persistent high flows at Morgan City prolonged delays and tow-size restrictions. The dicey conditions were expected to linger for 5-8 days.
Recent storms caused shoaling and navigation delays at Caney Creek in the West Canal, and dredging was scheduled to begin around June 24-25. Passage through Mile 57 in the West Canal was prohibited during the daytime on June 23 due to ship construction.
Bayou Sorrel Lock maintenance and repair operations will cause significant backups July 15 through Sept. 15, shippers said. Vessels are expected to detour through Algiers Lock while work is underway.
Lower Mississippi River: Shippers expected tow restrictions to soon take effect in the Memphis and Vicksburg areas due to rising river levels. Baton Rouge remained under high-water restrictions, and is expected to crest at 36.0 feet on July 8. The Baton Rouge gauge showed a depth of 31.8 feet on June 25.
Dredging work at Miles 484-485 was scheduled to conclude June 22, and mat-laying and weir-dike construction at Mile 643 was set to run through Oct. 8. Similar work is expected to prompt full or partial daytime closures at Mile 893 on Sept. 5-12, Mile 714 on Sept. 17-22, and Mile 418 on Nov. 11-17.
Weir construction at Big Island Bendway, originally slated to begin in September, will likely be moved up to a July 6 start date, shippers said. Transit through the area will be unavailable during daylight hours through Sept. 6.
Upper Mississippi River: High water, fast flows, and heavy drift continued to plague the St. Louis area, sources said, leading to heavy congestion and port delays averaging 12 hours.
Nighttime transit remains unavailable for tows longer than 600 feet until levels drop below the 25-foot mark. Depths were reported at 36.3 feet and falling on June 25, with rain forecast for June 27-28. The elevated flows led to tow-size restrictions of 12 barges or fewer above Wood River.
Navigation through Lock 27 was delayed 2-4 hours for the week, while boats passing through Lock 20 needed an extra hour for transit. Lock 15 was offline during the daytime on June 24.
Illinois River: Moderate-to-major flooding was reported on the Illinois River last week, slowing navigation in the Chicago area. The conditions halted transit above Starved Rock, and southbound travel through LaSalle was limited to 12-barge tows.
Marseille Lock and Dresden Island Locks were subject to width restrictions, and the LaGrange and Peoria Lock chambers were open, allowing boats to pass freely.
Lockport Lock remained closed following a June 15 equipment failure. Maintenance crews were ons