The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) continues responding to active shoaling in Southwest Pass (SWP) deposited by high river stages (flood event). There are two government hopper dredges (WHEELER and McFARLAND) working under Red Flag Emergency Call Outs. The MVN continues to operate the Bonnet Carré Spillway to manage the maximum flow at New Orleans and keep the flow below 1.25 million cubic feet per second. A total of 148 of the 350 bays at the Spillway have been opened.
TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS:
The Bar Pilots maximum draft recommendation was reduced to 41 feet (freshwater) in response to severe shoaling at the Head of Passes on the evening of Monday, March 4, 2019. This is the controlling draft for all vessels transiting Southwest Pass.
The Bar and Federal 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 can only allowed enter SWP “between 3 hours after low tide, to 3 hours after high tide at SWP.”
GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
RED FLAG EMERGENCY CALL OUTS:
WHEELER: MVN’s hopper dredge WHEELER is presently dredging at Cubits Gap from Mile 4.0 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 2.5 AHP. The WHEELER is now working under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #3-2019 (30-days).
McFARLAND: The Corps’ hopper dredge McFARLAND is dredgingfrom Mile 2.5 AHP to Mile 1.5 AHP under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #2-2019. The McFARLAND began working under Red Flag assignment on February 8, 2019, the Red Flag was approved for 45-days (maximum) after no bids were received to Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #3-2019.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
TERRAPIN ISLAND: The industry hopper dredge TERRAPIN ISLAND (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) is in the process of moving from the jetty end of SWP to begin an assignment at the Head of Passes. The TERRAPIN ISLAND began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #5-2019.
NEWPORT: Thehopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is presently dredging at the Head of Passes but will be moving to the jetty end of SWP later today. The NEWPORT is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019. The NEWPORT began dredging in SWP on November 28, 2018. The MVN intends to exercise the options on the NEWPORT’s contract to keep the hopper dredge working in SWP until mid-May.
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) departed Southwest Pass as scheduled on Monday, March 4th. The GLENN EDWARDS commenced dredging on December 18, 2018 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018. The hopper dredge is schedule to return in a few weeks to complete this contract.
STUYVESANT: The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is now expected to begin dredging in SWP tomorrow, Thursday, March 7th under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2019.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) is presently dredging at Mile 0.21 Below Head of Passes (BHP) and is working on assignment from Mile 1.5 AHP to Mile 2.0 BHP on the western side of the channel. The R.S. WEEKS was recently moved to this location below the Head of Passes due to impacts of strong currents Above the Head of Passes. The cutterhead started dredging in SWP on December 15, 2018.
CAPTAIN FRANK: The industry cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK is presently dredging at Mile 14.80 BHP. The cutterhead is working on assignment from Mile 10.5 BHP to Mile 17.8 BHP.
Weeks Marine will determine which of the two cutterheads will return to complete the assignment at the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area (Head of Passes) after the present assignments are completed.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 0900 hours was 16.65 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.24 feet.
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 0900 hours was 43.05 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.31 feet.
The future river stage predictions indicate the crest remaining at 17 feet based on the operation of the Bonnet Carré Spillway as a flood control structure. The MVN is not scheduled to open any additional bays at the Spillway today. The “controlled crest” at New Orleans of 17 feet is now forecast to last from March 13 to March 23 (2019) before beginning a slow fall.
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 report for complete details related to dredge assignments.
Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Dredging Update 3619
The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) continues responding to active shoaling in Southwest Pass (SWP) deposited by high river stages (flood event). There are two government hopper dredges (WHEELER and McFARLAND) working under Red Flag Emergency Call Outs. The MVN continues to operate the Bonnet Carré Spillway to manage the maximum flow at New Orleans and keep the flow below 1.25 million cubic feet per second. A total of 148 of the 350 bays at the Spillway have been opened.
TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS:
The Bar Pilots maximum draft recommendation was reduced to 41 feet (freshwater) in response to severe shoaling at the Head of Passes on the evening of Monday, March 4, 2019. This is the controlling draft for all vessels transiting Southwest Pass.
The Bar and Federal 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 can only allowed enter SWP “between 3 hours after low tide, to 3 hours after high tide at SWP.”
GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP): RED FLAG EMERGENCY CALL OUTS:
WHEELER: MVN’s hopper dredge WHEELER is presently dredging at Cubits Gap from Mile 4.0 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 2.5 AHP. The WHEELER is now working under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #3-2019 (30-days).
McFARLAND: The Corps’ hopper dredge McFARLAND is dredging from Mile 2.5 AHP to Mile 1.5 AHP under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #2-2019. The McFARLAND began working under Red Flag assignment on February 8, 2019, the Red Flag was approved for 45-days (maximum) after no bids were received to Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #3- 2019.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
TERRAPINISLAND: TheindustryhopperdredgeTERRAPINISLAND(GreatLakesDredge & Dock) is in the process of moving from the jetty end of SWP to begin an assignment at the Head of Passes. The TERRAPIN ISLAND began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #5-2019.
NEWPORT: The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is presently dredging at the Head of Passes but will be moving to the jetty end of SWP later today. The NEWPORT is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019. The NEWPORT began dredging in SWP on November 28, 2018. The MVN intends to exercise the options on the NEWPORT’s contract to keep the hopper dredge working in SWP until mid-May.
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) departed Southwest Pass as scheduled on Monday, March 4th. The GLENN EDWARDS commenced dredging on December 18, 2018 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018. The hopper dredge is schedule to return in a few weeks to complete this contract.
STUYVESANT: The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is now expected to begin dredging in SWP tomorrow, Thursday, March 7th under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2019.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) is presently dredging at Mile 0.21 Below Head of Passes (BHP) and is working on assignment from Mile 1.5 AHP to Mile 2.0 BHP on the western side of the channel. The R.S. WEEKS was recently moved to this location below the Head of Passes due to impacts of strong currents Above the Head of Passes. The cutterhead started dredging in SWP on December 15, 2018.
CAPTAIN FRANK: The industry cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK is presently dredging at Mile 14.80 BHP. The cutterhead is working on assignment from Mile 10.5 BHP to Mile 17.8 BHP .
