The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) is responding to shoaling in Southwest Pass (SWP) created by the elevated river stages. There are two industry hopper dredges and one industry cutterhead dredge now working to restore and maintain the Ship Channel in SWP.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
NEWPORT: The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is dredging at the Venice Jump (Mile 10.5 Above Head of Passes [AHP] to Mile 10 AHP) on the western channel edge. The NEWPORT began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018 in SWP on November 28, 2018.
GLENN EDWARDS: The hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) is dredging from Mile 12.2 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 12.5 BHP on the western channel edge. The GLENN EDWARDS commenced dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019 on December 18, 2018.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) is presently dredging at approximately Mile 11.45 BHP on the eastern channel edge. The cutterhead began dredging on assignment from Mile 10.5 BHP to 14 BHP on December 15, 2018. The R.S. WEEKS removed 2 million cubic yards (mcy) of material from the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area (HDDA) before being released from that contract (remove a total of 12 mcy from the HDDA) to respond to Southwest Pass Cuttherhead Rental Contract #1-2019.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1300 hours today was 12.49 feet the 24-hour change feature was unavailable.
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 0700 hours today was 32.24 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.55 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.
Please see the attached reports for complete details related to dredge assignments.
LMR Dredging Update 122818.pdf
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) is dredging at the Venice Jump (Mile 10.5 Above Head of Passes [AHP] to Mile 10 AHP) on the western channel edge. The NEWPORT began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018 in SWP on November 28, 2018.
GLENN EDWARDS: The hopper dredge GLENN EDW ARDS (Manson Construction) is dredging from Mile 12.2 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 12.5 BHP on the western channel edge. The GLENN EDWARDS commenced dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019 on December 18, 2018.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) is presently dredging at approximately Mile 11.45 BHP on the eastern channel edge. The cutterhead began dredging on assignment from Mile 10.5 BHP to 14 BHP on December 15, 2018. The R.S. WEEKS removed 2 million cubic yards (mcy) of material from the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area (HDDA) before being released from that contract (remove a total of 12 mcy from the HDDA) to respond to Southwest Pass Cuttherhead Rental Contract #1-2019.
The R.S. WEEKS is expected to return to the HDDA contract in February 2019 when it is relieved by the cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK.
Fed Pilots SWP Entry Restrictions Nov 2018.pdf
Federal Pilots of Louisiana
November 27, 2018
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.
Bar Pilot Flocculation Notice 112618.pdf
RE: SOUTHWEST PASS, TRANSIT RESTRICTION DUE TO FLOCCULATION
The Bar Pilots for the Port of New Orleans restrict inbound vessels with a deep fresh water draft of Thirty-Eight feet (38′) or greater to transit Southwest Pass from the Sea Buoy (Entrance Lighted Whistle Buoy “SW”) to mile 1.5 above Head of Passes “between 3 hours after low tide, to 3 hours after high tide at SWP”.
The restriction becomes effective at 1000 hours on November 26, 2018.
Nothing in the recommendations should be construed as limiting a pilot in the exercise of their judgment.
