The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) channel maintenance dredging on the Mississippi River Ship Channel. The government dustpan dredges JADWIN was released on August 22 and the HURLEY on September 4 (2024). The dustpans were released to the USACE Memphis and Vicksburg Districts to work on the shallow-draft channel. The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) continues dredging on the Crossings Above New Orleans.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE Mc GEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) continues dredging full channel dimensions at Red Eye Crossing (Mile 224 AHP). The dustpan dredge began dredging for the FY 24 season at Alhambra Crossing on June 14, 2024.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE WORKING THE NEW ORLEANS HARBOR:
J.S. CHATRY: The cutterhead dredge J.S. CHATRY (Weeks Marine) will be utilized by the USACE to finish dredging assignments in the New Orleans Harbor. The USACE plans to temporarily release the cutterhead dredge from standing by near the saltwater sill. The J.S. CHATRY is expected to start dredging the remaining portions of the channel in the New Orleans Harbor near the Julia Street Cruise Terminal (Orange Street to Poydras Street) by this weekend. The assignments will take 4 to 5 days to complete as the USACE monitors the saltwater wedge.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE CONSTRUCTING THE SALTWATER SILL:
J.S. CHATRY: The J.S. CHATRY (Weeks Marine) completed the construction of the saltwater sill at approximately
Mile 63.7 AHP to the height of -55 feet from September 14 to September 26 (2024). The USACE will continue to monitor the progress of the saltwater wedge, to determine if the construction of the saltwater sill to a higher elevation (-30 feet) is required, not anticipated at this time. The coordinated one-way traffic through the buoyed channel will continue until the river washes the material away. The USACE last measured the saltwater wedge at Mile 63.5 Above Head of Passes (AHP) on October 1, 2024.
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION:
(UNCHANGED SINCE July 7, 2023)
The updated maximum draft recommendation for each Pilot Association as adjusted by the Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening is 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 to 49 feet 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, after also temporarily reducing their maximum draft to 49 feet (freshwater).
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) remains unadjusted since July 7, 2023.
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION:
(UNCHANGED SINCE July 7, 2023)
The updated maximum draft recommendation for each Pilot Association as adjusted by the Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening is 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 to 49 feet 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, after also temporarily reducing their maximum draft to 49 feet (freshwater).
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) remains unadjusted since July 7, 2023.
Mississippi River Stages and Forecast Updates:
The Carrollton Gage (New Orleans) reading at 1700 hours today was 3.60 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.19 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gage issued today forecasts that stages will rise to 5.2 feet on October 11 and then resume a slow fall to 3.0 feet on November 6 (2024).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1700 hours was 11.02 feet the 24-hour change of + 0.40 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 recede to 11.0 feet on October 10 and will then resume a slow fall to 3.5 feet on November 6 (2024).
*Long-range forecasts only include precipitation expected to fall in the next 48-hours.
