The Corps’ Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) holds monthly meetings to discuss channel conditions and related issues directly with the maritime industry. These meetings are usually scheduled for 0900 hours on the first Wednesday of the month. LAMA encourages our members to attend these meetings, which are open to the public with advanced notice of attendance. The agenda for this meeting as provided by the MVN is attached.

Maintenance Forum Notes June 6, 2018

1. Introductions
2. Southeast Waterways Update:
   No changes, the MVN last surveyed Tiger Pass on February 22, 2018, although an old survey identified a controlling depth of approximately 1 foot Mean Low Gulf (MLG) between Mile 9.5 to Mile 10.5 (jetty end). The last survey effort could not be completed the because of the extreme shoaling, but provided enough information to update the estimated amount of material in the channel. Approximately 3 million cubic yards of material would need to be removed to restore authorized channel dimensions.The Corps has received supplemental funding that is expected to be sufficient to restore full channel dimensions and to perform rock work to restore the channel boundaries. A survey from early April indicated channel depths ranging from 11-14 feet MLG at full width in the recently dredged reach, with a shoal identified near Mile 10 having a controlling depth of approximately 9 feet MLG.
3. Mississippi River Conditions Update:
   Current Stage New Orleans: 8.7 feet on Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Projected to steadily fall to 6.1 feet by July 3, 2018.
   Current Stage Baton Rouge: 25.7 feet on Wednesday, June 6, 2018. Projected to steadily fall to 17.8 feet by July 3, 2018.
   1. Crossings Between Baton Rouge and New Orleans:
      The latest survey results and dredge locations for the Crossings are included in the attached agenda. The MVN continues dredging the central 250 feet of channel on the majority of the Crossings with the three dustpan dredges (WALLACE McGEORGE, JADWIN and HURLEY) and the industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS. The MVN indicates their ability to respond to the shoaling may be limited by funding in late July.
   2. NewOrleansHarbor:
      The MVN has issued the contractual Notice to Proceed to Mike Hooks, Inc. and is coordinating the cutterhead assignment with the representatives of the Port of New Orleans. The cutterhead dredge MIKE HOOKS will respond to this contract, the dredge is already working under contract directly for the Port of New Orleans.
   3. Southwest Pass (SWP):
      The channel conditions in Southwest Pass have improved because of the number of dredges working on the channel and the receding river stages and a total of four hopper dredges and two cutterhead dredges during the high river stages. The channel continues to be recovered, although several of the dredges are expected to complete their contracts in SWP over this weekend. The industry hopper dredges NEWPORT and BAYPORT and the industry cutterhead dredge ROBERT M. WHITE are all owned and operated by Manson Construction and are expected to depart SWP this weekend. The industry cutterhead dredge G.D. MORGAN (Weeks Marine) will continue to dredge down to approximately Mile 1.5 Below Head of Passes and is expected to complete this assignment by June 20, 2018.The controlling draft recommendation based on the current channel conditions was revised to 46 feet (freshwater) by the Bar and Federal Pilots at 1000 hours yesterday (Wednesday, June 6, 2018). The dredge locations are listed on the attached agenda as are the expected completion dates.
   4. South Pass:
      The channel remains deficient and, based on limited funding there are no plans to dredge South Pass.
   5. Supplemental Funding:
      The MVN detailed that although it has received some supplemental funding that it will need more to properly respond to the Crossings Above New Orleans. The President’s Budget request of $83.846 million is being supplemented by $40 million from the Bi-partisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-123) raising the total of Fiscal Year 2018 funding to $123.85 million. The MVN anticipates having funding constraints to respond to the immense amount of shoaling on the Crossings Above New Orelans and being unable to dredge the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area (HDDA) at the Head of Passes.The only known mechanism for additional supplemental funding is from the Corps Work Plan of 2018 and navigation interests have requested an amount of $50 million. This amount of additional funding should be sufficient to restore full channel dimensions on the Crossings Above New Orleans, to dredge the HDDA and to perform critical foreshore rock foritification in the area of Southwest Pass.
4. Next Meeting:
   The next Forum meeting is scheduled for 0900 hours on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, at the MVN District Assembly Room A.

Mississippi River Maintenance Forum

Meeting Agenda
June 6, 2018