The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) is responding to shoaling in Southwest Pass (SWP) created by the elevated river stages. There are two industry hopper dredges and one industry cutterhead dredge now working to restore and maintain the Ship Channel in SWP.

INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

GLENN EDWARDS:  The hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) is now dredging from Mile 13.5 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 18 BHP on the western channel edge.  The GLENN EDWARDS commenced dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019 on December 18, 2018.  

NEWPORT:  The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is dredging from Mile 18.5 BHP to Mile 19.5 BHP on the eastern channel edge.  The NEWPORT began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018 in SWP on November 28, 2018.

 

CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS commenced dredging from Mile 10.5 BHP to 14 BHP on the eastern channel edge on December 15, 2018.  The cutterhead removed 2 million cubic yards of material from the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area before being released from that contract to respond to Southwest Pass Cuttherhead Rental Contract #1-2019.

The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1400 hours today was 12.59 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.18.

The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 1400 hours today was 32.56 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.05 feet.

The graph below is reproduced from NOAA’s National Weather Service website and represents an experimental product to account for the complexity of accurately predicting long-range precipitation.  This forecast projects stage levels based on expected precipitation for 2 days (top) and 16 days (bottom) and was developed within the North American Ensemble Forecast System (NAEFS) computer model and highlights Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF).  Along with the forecasts, a shaded area is also provided to indicate uncertainty for the forecast each day in the future.   These plots are experimental and not an official forecast product.

 

NORL1_67_28d_forecast_error_plot.png

TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

The Bar Pilots continue to utilize the flocculation based transit restriction for all inbound vessels arriving Southwest Pass with a freshwater draft of 38-feet or greater. Inbound vessels with a draft of 38-feet or greater are only allowed to enter SWP “between 3 hours after low tide, to 3 hours after high tide at SWP.” The restriction became effective at 1000 hours on, Monday, November 26, 2018. The official notice as released by the Bar Pilots is attached, please refer to it for complete details.

The Federal Pilots implemented a similar flocculation based restriction for inbound vessels with a draft of 38-feet or greater on November 27, 2018. The official notice is also attached.

INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

GLENN EDWARDS: The hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) is now dredging from Mile 13.5 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 18 BHP on the western channel edge. The GLENN EDWARDS commenced dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019 on December 18, 2018.

NEWPORT: The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is dredging from Mile 18.5 BHP to Mile 19.5 BHP on the eastern channel edge. The NEWPORT began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018 in SWP on November 28, 2018.

CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS commenced dredging from Mile 10.5 BHP to 14 BHP on the eastern channel edge on December 15, 2018. The cutterhead removed 2 million cubic yards of material from the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area before being released from that contract to respond to Southwest Pass Cuttherhead Rental Contract #1-2019.

The R.S. WEEKS is expected to return to the HDDA contract in February 2019 when it is relieved by the cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK.

RE: SOUTHWEST PASS, TRANSIT RESTRICTION DUE TO FLOCCULATION

The Bar Pilots for the Port of New Orleans restrict inbound vessels with a deep fresh water draft of Thirty-Eight feet (38′) or greater to transit Southwest Pass from the Sea Buoy (Entrance Lighted Whistle Buoy “SW”) to mile 1.5 above Head of Passes “between 3 hours after low tide, to 3 hours after high tide at SWP”.

The restriction becomes effective at 1000 hours on November 26, 2018.

Nothing in the recommendations should be construed as limiting a pilot in the exercise of their judgment.