The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) channel maintenance dredging on the Mississippi River Ship Channel. The dustpan dredges HURLEY and WALLACE McGEORGE working on the Crossings, the USACE dustpan dredge JADWIN was released to respond to the shallow-draft emergency upriver. The industry hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is expected to arrive on the Crossings by this weekend and to start dredging at Granada Crossing (Mile 204.3 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to assist as additional dustpans may also be released to work on the shallow-draft channel above Baton Rouge. The USACE is preparing to construct the saltwater sill at approximately Mile 64 AHP to respond to saltwater sill that is moving upriver, A bid opening is scheduled for tomorrow for a cutterhead dredge to construct the saltwater sill. The USACE last measured the saltwater wedge at Mile 29.9 AHP on August 20, 2024.
DUSTPAN DREDGES WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
JADWIN: The government dustpan dredge JADWIN completed dredging operations at Philadelphia Crossing (Mile 183 AHP) yesterday morning and was released to respond to the shallow-draft channel for the USACE Memphis District. The dustpan began dredging on the Crossings in FY 24 on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
HURLEY: The government dustpan dredge HURLEY continues dredging full channel dimensions at Sardine Point (Mile 219 AHP). The dustpan dredge began dredging in FY 24 on June 17, 2024.
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE Mc GEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) continues dredging full channel dimensions at Alhambra Crossing (Mile 192 AHP). The dredge is expected to complete this assignment over the weekend. The White Castle Anchorage (Mile 191.1 AHP to Mile 190.4 AHP) remains unavailable for vessel usage due to the dredging operations at Alhambra. The anchorage should be reopened once this assignment is completed. The dustpan dredge began dredging for the FY 24 season at Alhambra Crossing on June 14, 2024.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
NEWPORT: The industry hopper dredge NEWPORT is expected to start work at Granada Crossing by this weekend. The NEWPORT continue work under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Contract #2-2023 that had previously been worked by Manson’s hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE WORKING in the NEW ORLENAS HARBOR:
CAPTAIN FRANK: The cutterhead dredge CAPATIN FRANK (Weeks Marine) is dredging at the Harvey Lock forebay but is expected to return to dredging in the New Orleans Harbor once the shallow-draft work is completed. The CAPTIN FRANK began work under this contract on August 3 (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.
Mississippi River Stages and Forecast Updates:
The Carrollton Gage (New Orleans) reading at 0900 hours today was 3.47 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.05 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 continue a slow fall to 2.0 feet on September 25 (2024).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 0900 hours was 7.46 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.08 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 fall to 3.7 feet on September 25 (2024).
