The Corps’ Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) District’s Lock and Waterway Status 60-Day Forecast as issued today (Tuesday, September 8, 2020) is HERE
The updated or revised status reports are highlighted in bold and lists conditions on the Navigation Structures in the Calcasieu Area Impacted by Hurricane Laura, Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC), Old River, Algiers and Bayou Beouf Locks and the East and West Calumet Floodgates.
CALCASIEU AREA STRUCTURES IMPACTED BY HURRICANE LAURA:
The navigation structures listed below were all impacted by Hurricane Laura please note all navigation restrictions when transited this area:
“CALCASIEU LOCK is open to navigation during nighttime hours from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m. each day due to the Black Bayou and Grand Lake pontoon bridge restrictions.
CALCASIEU RIVER SALTWATER and CATFISH POINT CONTROL STRUCTURE both have their gates open for draining and may have high velocities. If mariners choose to navigate through the structure, they will have to do so at their own risk. Structure may be manned during daylight hours.”
IHNC LOCK:
The IHNC Lock is closed to navigation around the clock to preform major repairs during a complete dewatering on the Lock:
“IHNC Lock will be closed to navigation around the clock, 24hrs per day beginning 04 Sep 2020 and lasting approximately 60 days while the structure is dewatered for major repair work.”
OLD RIVER LOCK:
The Old River Lock will be closed to navigation at intermittent periods of time to conduct repairs and test of the Emergency Bulkhead Lowering Carriage Machinery, please see full details:
“Currently preparations are being made for the Bulkhead Carriage Load Testing and may require short closures during the day, check with the lock operator for up to date status.
Beginning on 14 September 2020 and continuing until 30 September 2020, Old River Lock will periodically be closed to navigation for up to 4 days at a time to perform operational load tests on the newly installed Emergency Bulkhead Lowering Carriage Machinery.
Navigation will be allowed to pass between load test cycles. The maximum estimated time for a load test cycle will be 4 days. Old River Lock plans to clear the queue between load tests cycles before starting another load test cycle.”
ALGIERS LOCK:
The Algiers Lock will be closed for scheduled daytime closures from 0530 hours to 1930 hours until September 11, 2020. The daytime closures are needed to complete repairs to an unstable dolphin and portions of the guide wall:
“The work closure has been extended through 11 September 2020. Algiers Lock will be closed to navigation during daylight hours from 5:30 am to 7:30 pm each day for repairs to the river end dolphin and guide wall.
NOTE:
- Current tow restrictions are still in effect around the clock as stated below per Navigation Bulletin #20-133.
- When daytime closures go in effect, the restrictions will remain in effect during nighttime hours when lock is open.”
And continuing, (previously enacted)
The Algiers Lock is presently operating with special restrictions in place due the unstable condition of the dolphin structure adjacent to the upstream river end guide wall:
“Effective immediately at Algiers Lock and continuing until further notice, mariners are advised to avoid the dolphin and the end of the long river end guide wall. The dolphin adjacent to the end of the upstream, river end guide wall is unstable and is a hazard to mariners. Tows in both directions are restricted to a maximum length of 600 feet.”
BAYOU BOEUF LOCK:
The replacement of the Bayou Boeuf Lock’s Chamber Guide Wall is expected to begin on September 11, 2020 with daytime closures expected to last until August 2021:
“As of 11 Sep 2019 Bayou Boeuf Lock is closed to navigation from 7 am until 7 pm (Daylight Hours), Mondays thru Thursdays until approximately August 2021 to construct the new south side chamber guide wall.”
EAST and WEST CALUMET FLOODGATES:
The East and West Calumet Floodgates remain closed due to heavy siltation in the channel:
“Continuing until further notice, East and West Calumet Floodgate will remain closed to navigation due to heavy siltation in the channel making it unsafe for navigation.”
