The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues working to restore or maintain the Mississippi River Ship Channel in areas on the Crossings Above New Orleans. The dustpan dredges, JADWIN and WALLACE McGEORGE and the hopper dredge BAYPORT are presently working on the Crossings Above New Orleans.
DEWATERING OF THE INNER HARBOR NAVIGATION CANAL LOCK:
The cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK completed dredging on Baptiste Collette and the USACE expects to move forward with the dewatering of the IHNC Lock as planned tomorrow morning Friday, September 4, 2020. The dewatering of the IHNC Lock is scheduled to require a full closure for 60 days. The USACE reported the shallow-draft alternate route (Baptiste Collette) is in good condition now and that channel surveys will be updated and posted online. The U.S. Coast Guard reports that all Aids to Navigation are in place and online properly marking the alternate channel route, the Marine Safety Information Bulletin with complete details is attached (UPDATED Inner Harbor Navigational Canal Lock Closure and GIWW Alternate Route).
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
The USACE continues dredging to restore or maintain at least the central 250 feet of the channel on the Crossings as river stages continue to slowly fall (authorized width is 500 feet).
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge continues dredging the central 250 feet of the channel at Baton Rouge Front (Mile 232.0 AHP). The WALLACE McGEORGE commenced dredging on the Crossings on Thursday, May 21, 2020
JADWIN: The government dustpan dredge completed dredging operations at Alhambra Crossing (Mile 190.5 AHP) this morning. The dustpan dredge is expected to start dredging the full channel width (500 feet) at Belmont Crossing (Mile 154 AHP) later today. The JADWIN began dredging on the Crossings on Thursday, May 21, 2020.
HURLEY: The government dustpan dredge HURLEY continues dredging on the shallow-draft channel at Winchester (Mile 901 AHP). The dustpan is expected to work two other shallow-draft areas as it works its way back downriver (Tunica Bend Mile 294 AHP and Wilkerson Point Mile 235 AHP). The HURLEY commenced dredging on the Crossings on June 29, 2020 departed for Victoria Bend on July 18, 2020 and resumed dredging on the Crossings on August 3, 2020. The dustpan dredge departed for Winchester on August 23, 2020. The HURLEY is now expected to return to dredging on the Crossings in late September.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
BAYPORT: The industry hopper dredge BAYPORT (Manson Construction) completed work at Medora Crossing (Mile 212 AHP). The BAYPORT is now working on two assignments, during daylight hours it is dredging the central 250 feet of channel at Missouri Bend ( Mile 222 AHP) and from sunset to sunrise is dredging just downriver at Sardine Point (Mile 219 AHP). The hopper dredge is now expected to complete this contract on September 13th. The BAYPORT commenced dredging on the Crossings on July 9, 2020.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1300 hours today was 3.88 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.13 feet.
NOAA’s National Weather Service’s Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gauge issued today indicates a steady rise to 5.5 feet over the next week and then to resume a slow fall to 4.2 feet on October 1, 2020.
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 1400 hours today was 12.49 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.05 feet.
NOAA’s National Weather Service’s Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Baton Rouge Gauge issued today predicts a steady rise to 18.3 feet over the next week then to resume a slow fall to 13.7 feet on October 1, 2020.
