The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) continues responding to active shoaling in Southwest Pass (SWP) deposited by high river stages (flood event). There are two industry hopper dredges, two industry cutterhead dredges and one government hopper dredge working in SWP. There are two additional industry hopper dredges expected to arrive in SWP by this weekend. The MVN continues to operate the Bonnet Carré Spillway to ensure the maximum flow at New Orleans remains below 1.25 million cubic feet per second, 196 of the 350 bays remain open. The MVN is expected to resume closing more bays today as the river stages continue to recede.
UPDATED: TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS:
The Bar Pilots maximum draft recommendation was increased to 42 feet (freshwater) on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 based on channel conditions.
The Crescent River Port Pilots’ Safe Navigation Committee continues to recommend a maximum draft of 42 feet with one-way traffic for two vessels of 41 feet or greater between Mile 4.5 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 1.5 AHP.
GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
RED FLAG EMERGENCY CALL OUTS:
WHEELER: MVN’s hopper dredge WHEELER is presently dredging in the area of the Head of Passes (Mile 0.7 AHP to Mile 0.2 AHP). The WHEELER began working under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #3-2019 (30-days) on March 1, 2019. The Red Flag Callout was recently extended an additional 30 days, this should keep the WHEELER in SWP until early May.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
STUYVESANT: The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is dredging in the area of Cubits Gap (Mile 3.5 AHP to Mile 3.0 AHP). The STUYVESANT began dredging in SWP on Thursday, March 7, 2019 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2019.
NEWPORT: Thehopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is presently dredging on the jetty end of SWP (Mile 17.5 Below Head of Passes [BHP] to 18.5 BHP). The NEWPORT is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019. The NEWPORT began dredging in SWP on November 28, 2018. The MVN intends to exercise the options on the NEWPORT’s contract to keep the hopper dredge working in SWP until early June.
TERRAPIN ISLAND: The industry hopper dredge TERRAPIN ISLAND (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) departed SWP last night (March 25, 2019). The TERRAPIN ISLAND began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #5-2019 on February 17, 2019.
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge is expected to resume dredging in SWP on March 28, 2019 in order to complete Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018.
BAYPORT: The industry hopper dredge is expected to begin working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #7-2019 by March 30, 2019
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1000 hours was 16.56 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.02 feet.
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 0800 hours was 43.72 feet the 24-hour change feature was unavailable.
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.
Please see the attached report for complete details related to dredge assignments.
Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Dredging Update 32619
The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) continues responding to active shoaling in Southwest Pass (SWP) deposited by high river stages (flood event). There are two industry hopper dredges, two industry cutterhead dredges and one government hopper dredge working in SWP. There are two additional industry hopper dredges expected to arrive in SWP by this weekend. The MVN continues to operate the Bonnet Carré Spillway to ensure the maximum flow at New Orleans remains below 1.25 million cubic feet per second, 196 of the 350 bays remain open. The MVN is expected to resume closing more bays today as the river stages continue to recede.
UPDATED: TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS:
The Bar Pilots maximum draft recommendation was increased to 42 feet (freshwater) on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 based on channel conditions.
The Crescent River Port Pilots’ Safe Navigation Committee continues to recommend a maximum draft of 42 feet with one-way traffic for two vessels of 41 feet or greater between Mile 4.5 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 1.5 AHP.
GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP): RED FLAG EMERGENCY CALL OUTS:
WHEELER: MVN’s hopper dredge WHEELER is presently dredging in the area of the Head of Passes (Mile 0.7 AHP to Mile 0.2 AHP). The WHEELER began working under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #3-2019 (30-days) on March 1, 2019. The Red Flag Callout was recently extended an additional 30 days, this should keep the WHEELER in SWP until early May.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
STUYVESANT: The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is dredging in the area of Cubits Gap (Mile 3.5 AHP to Mile 3.0 AHP). The STUYVESANT began dredging in SWP on Thursday, March 7, 2019 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6- 2019.
NEWPORT: The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is presently dredging on the jetty end of SWP (Mile 17.5 Below Head of Passes [BHP] to 18.5 BHP). The NEWPORT is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019. The NEWPORT began dredging in SWP on November 28, 2018. The MVN intends to exercise the options on the NEWPORT’s contract to keep the hopper dredge working in SWP until early June.
TERRAPINISLAND: TheindustryhopperdredgeTERRAPINISLAND(GreatLakesDredge & Dock) departed SWP last night (March 25, 2019). The TERRAPIN ISLAND began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #5-2019 on February 17, 2019.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP): (continued)
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge is expected to resume dredging in SWP on March 28, 2019 in order to complete Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018.
BAYPORT: The industry hopper dredge is expected to begin working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #7-2019 by March 30, 2019
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) continues to undergo repairs and is now expected to return to dredging at approximately Mile 0.73 BHP by March 30, 2019. The cutterhead will continue the assignment from Mile 1.5 AHP to Mile 2.0 BHP on the western side of the channel. The cutterhead started dredging in SWP on December 15, 2018.
CAPTAIN FRANK: The industry cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK is presently dredging at Mile 16.21 BHP. The cutterhead resumed working on assignment from Mile 10.5 BHP to Mile 17.8 BHP (R.S. WEEKS initial assignment) on February 23, 2019.
