The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) received one awardable bid to Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019 from Manson Construction.  Manson intends to respond to this contract with the hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS.  The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) was released from the contract at the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area so that it could respond to shoaling in SWP.

TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

The Bar Pilots continue to utilize the flocculation based transit restriction for all inbound vessels arriving Southwest Pass with a freshwater draft of 38-feet or greater.  Inbound vessels with a draft of 38-feet or greater are only allowed to enter SWP “between 3 hours after low tide, to 3 hours after high tide at SWP.”  The restriction became effective at 1000 hours on, Monday, November 26, 2018.  The official notice as released by the Bar Pilots is attached, please refer to it for complete details.

The Federal Pilots implemented a similar flocculation based restriction for inbound vessels with a draft of 38-feet or greater on November 27, 2018.  The official notice is also attached.

 

INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP): 

NEWPORT: The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) continues dredging on assignment from Mile 11 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 12.5 BHP.  The NEWPORT commenced dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018 in SWP on November 28, 2018.

 

CUTTERHEAD DREDGE AT THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):

R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS has removed approximately 2 mcy of material from the HDDA since starting the project on November 3, 2018.  The contract calls for Weeks Marine to remove a total of 12 mcy of material from the HDDA.  The material will be beneficially used in the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area on the eastern side of the Ship Channel. The beneficial use of material removed from the HDDA is expected to restore approximately 1,000 acres of new marsh in this critical deltaic environment.  The cutterhead is now expected to start dredging from Mile 10.5 BHP to Mile 14 BHP on the eastern side of the channel in SWP by Monday, December 17, 2018.   The R.S. WEEKS will return to the HDDA project after completing the assignment in SWP.

The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 0645 hours today was 11.58 feet.

The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 0645 hours today was 30.38 feet.

The graph below is reproduced from NOAA’s National Weather Service website and represents an experimental product to account for the complexity of accurately predicting long-range precipitation.  This forecast projects stage levels based on expected precipitation for 2 days (top) and 16 days (bottom) and was developed within the North American Ensemble Forecast System (NAEFS) computer model and highlights Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF).  Along with the forecasts, a shaded area is also provided to indicate uncertainty for the forecast each day in the future.   These plots are experimental and not an official forecast product.

NORL1_67_28d_forecast_error_plot.png

Please see the attached report for complete details on dredge assignments.

Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Dredging Update 121318

The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) received one awardable bid to Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019 from Manson Construction. Manson intends to respond to this contract with the hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS. The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) was released from the contract at the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area so that it could respond to shoaling in SWP.

TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

The Bar Pilots continue to utilize the flocculation based transit restriction for all inbound vessels arriving Southwest Pass with a freshwater draft of 38-feet or greater. Inbound vessels with a draft of 38-feet or greater are only allowed to enter SWP “between 3 hours after low tide, to 3 hours after high tide at SWP.” The restriction became effective at 1000 hours on, Monday, November 26, 2018. The official notice as released by the Bar Pilots is attached, please refer to it for complete details.

The Federal Pilots implemented a similar flocculation based restriction for inbound vessels with a draft of 38-feet or greater on November 27, 2018. The official notice is also attached.

INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

NEWPORT: The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) continues dredging on assignment from Mile 11 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 12.5 BHP. The NEWPORT commenced dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018 in SWP on November 28, 2018.

CUTTERHEAD DREDGE AT THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):

R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS has removed approximately 2 mcy of material from the HDDA since starting the project on November 3, 2018. The contract calls for Weeks Marine to remove a total of 12 mcy of material from the HDDA. The material will be beneficially used in the Pass-a-Loutre Wildlife Management Area on the eastern side of the Ship Channel. The beneficial use of material removed from the HDDA is expected to restore approximately 1,000 acres of new marsh in this critical deltaic environment. The cutterhead is now expected to start dredging from Mile 10.5 BHP to Mile 14 BHP on the eastern side of the channel in SWP by Monday, December 17, 2018. project after completing the assignment in SWP. The R.S. WEEKS will return to the HDDA project after completing the assignment in SWP.

November 27, 2018

To Whom It May Concern:

Due to the presence of flocculation; effective immediately, The Federal Pilots of Louisiana recommend that any inbound vessels with a fresh water draft of 38’ or greater shall enter SWP 3 hours after low tide to 3 hours after high tide.