The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues active channel maintenance dredging operations on the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC) on the Crossings Above New Orleans. Please see the second page for complete details on maximum freshwater draft recommendations (50 feet from Mile 175 to the Southwest Pass Sea Buoy). The USACE previously released two government dustpan dredges from the Crossings (HURLEY and JADWIN) to address emergency low-water conditions on the shallow draft channel above Baton Rouge.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) continues dredging full channel dimensions at Red Eye Crossing (Mile 224 Above Head of Passes [AHP]). The dustpan dredge began dredging on the Crossings on May 24, 2023.
HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) completed dredging at Belmont Crossing (Mile 154 AHP) and moved upriver to commence dredging full channel dimensions at Philadelphia Crossing (Mile 183 AHP) at 1520 hours today. The GLENN EDWARDS is expected to resume dredging in Southwest Pass this weekend. The GLENN EDWARDS is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2022 a Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 23) early award hopper dredge rental contract.
HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
DODGE ISLAND: The industry hopper dredge DODGE ISLAND (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) will return to SWP to complete Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #2-2022 tomorrow. The hopper dredge has approximately 8 days of work left to complete this contract. Great Lakes utilized both the DODGE ISLAND and PADRE ISLAND on this contract that was the second of the two FY 23 early award contracts.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) WORKING IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
CAPTAIN FRANK: The USACE recently awarded a cutterhead dredge contract to Weeks Marine to remove sediment from the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area (HDDA), Weeks will utilize the cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK for this contract. Weeks will beneficially use the material removed from the HDDA in the West Bay Receiving Area that will require at least one scheduled 12-hour closure to install a submerged dredge pipeline across the Ship Channel. The pipeline installation is tentatively planned to occur in mid-September, additional details will be available over the next week or so.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
ALASKA: The USACE recently awarded a cutterhead dredge contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock to preform channel maintenance dredging in Southwest Pass. Great Lakes will utilize their cutterhead dredge ALASKA that is expected to arrive SWP in mid-September. The cutterhead will beneficially utilize the removed sediment material for marsh restoration in the vicinity of Southwest Pass.
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION:
(UPDATED BAR PILOT DRAFT INCREASE July 6, 2023)
The updated maximum draft recommendation for each Pilot Association as adjusted due to the Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening and a temporary reduction to 49 feet by the Bar Pilots are detailed below:
Associated Branch Pilots of the Port of New Orleans (Bar Pilots): The Bar Pilots returned their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on July 6, 2023. The Bar Pilots originally increased their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on March 16, 2022, prior to the temporary reduction from May 22 to July 6 (2023).
Crescent River Port Pilots Association (CRPPA): The CPPRA raised their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) in coordination with the Bar Pilots on July 7, 2023. The CRPPA originally increased their maximum draft to 50 feet (freshwater) on July 20.
New Orleans Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association (NOBRA): The NOBRA returned their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) from Mile 175 AHP to Mile 88 AHP on July 7, 2023. The maximum draft recommendation from Mile 175 to 180 remains 47 feet and from Mile 180 to Mile 233.8 it remains 45 feet.
Associated Federal Pilots and Docking Masters of Louisiana (Federal Pilots): The Federal Pilots increased their maximum draft recommendations to the following to match the draft adjustment to 50 feet by the other Pilot Associations.
- 50 feet from Sea Buoy to Mile 175 AHP
- 45 feet Mile 175 AHP to 232.4 AHP
- 40 feet Mile 232.4 AHP to 233.8 AHP
The controlling maximum freshwater draft for the MRSC from Mile 175 AHP (Smoke Bend) to the Southwest Pass Sea Buoy is 50 feet (freshwater) as adjusted on July 7, 2023.
Mississippi River Stages and Forecast Updates:
The Carrollton Gage (New Orleans) reading at 1600 hours today was 3.43 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.21 feet.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gage issued today forecasts stages will continue a slow rise until cresting at 4.4 feet from August 25-28 and to then resume a slow fall to 2.1 feet on September 19 (2023).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1600 hours was 10.86 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.39 feet.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Baton Rouge Gauge issued today forecasts stages will continue a slow rise until cresting at 11.4 feet August 25-26 and will then begin a slow fall to 4.9 feet on September 19 (2023).
