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 now four industry hopper dredges, two industry cutterhead dredges and one government hopper dredge working in SWP. The MVN continues to operate the Bonnet Carré Spillway to ensure the maximum flow at New Orleans remains at or below 1.25 million cubic feet per second, 135 of the 350 bays remain open, although additional bays may be closed today.
TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS:
The Bar Pilots maximum draft recommendation remains at 42 feet (freshwater) as established on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 based on channel surveys from the MVN.
The Crescent River Port Pilots’ Safe Navigation Committee maximum draft recommendation also remains at 42 feet with a one-way traffic recommendation for two vessels of 41 feet or greater between Mile 4.5 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 1.5 AHP.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge is now dredging in the areas of Cubits Gap (Mile 3.6 Above Head of Passes to Mile 2.3 AHP). The GLENN EDWARDS began (resumed) dredging in SWP at 0830 hours on Sunday, March 31, 2019 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #7-2019.
NEWPORT: Thehopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is presently dredging from Mile 2.3 AHP to Mile 1.4 AHP. 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 early June.
BAYPORT: The industry hopper dredge began dredging from Mile 4.4 Below of Head (BHP) to Mile 6.0 BHP at 1045 hours on Sunday, March 31, 2019. The industry hopper is now working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018 on March 27, 2019. (Manson Construction has utilized three dredges: NEWPORT to GLENN EDWARDS now to the BAYPORT to complete this contract).
STUYVESANT: The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is dredging on the jetty end of SWP (Mile 17.5 BHP to Mile 19.5 BHP). The STUYVESANT began dredging in SWP on Thursday, March 7, 2019 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2019.
GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
RED FLAG EMERGENCY CALL OUTS:
WHEELER: MVN’s hopper dredge WHEELER is presently refueling and changing engine oils at the MVN Dock (New Orleans). The WHEELER is expected to resume dredging in SWP about noon on Wednesday, April 3, 2019. The WHEELER began working under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #3-2019 (30-days) on March 1, 2019 and will soon rollover into Red Flag Emergency Call Out #4-2019 (30-days).
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1300 hours was 16.84 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.07 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 report for complete details related to dredge assignments.
Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Dredging Update 4119
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 now four industry hopper dredges, two industry cutterhead dredges and one government hopper dredge working in SWP. The MVN continues to operate the Bonnet Carré Spillway to ensure the maximum flow at New Orleans remains at or below 1.25 million cubic feet per second, 135 of the 350 bays remain open, although additional bays may be closed today.
TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS:
The Bar Pilotsmaximum draft recommendation remains at 42 feet (freshwater) as established on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 based on channel surveys from the MVN.
The Crescent River Port Pilots’ Safe Navigation Committee maximum draft recommendation also remains at 42 feet with a one-way traffic recommendation for two vessels of 41 feet or greater between Mile 4.5 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 1.5 AHP.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge is now dredging in the areas of Cubits Gap (Mile 3.6 Above Head of Passes to Mile 2.3 AHP). The GLENN EDWARDS began (resumed) dredging in SWP at 0830 hours on Sunday, March 31, 2019 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #7-2019.
NEWPORT: ThehopperdredgeNEWPORT(MansonConstruction)ispresentlydredgingfrom Mile 2.3 AHP to Mile 1.4 AHP. 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 early June.
BAYPORT: The industry hopper dredge began dredging from Mile 4.4 Below of Head (BHP) to Mile 6.0 BHP at 1045 hours on Sunday, March 31, 2019. The industry hopper is now working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2018 on March 27, 2019. (Manson Construction has utilized three dredges: NEWPORT to GLENN EDWARDS now to the BAYPORT to complete this contract).
STUYVESANT: TheindustryhopperdredgeSTUYVESANT(DutraGroup)isdredgingonthe jetty end of SWP (Mile 17.5 BHP to Mile 19.5 BHP). The STUYVESANT began dredging in SWP on Thursday, March 7, 2019 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6- 2019.
GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP): RED FLAG EMERGENCY CALL OUTS:
WHEELER: MVN’shopperdredgeWHEELERispresentlyrefuelingandchangingengineoils at the MVN Dock (New Orleans). The WHEELER is expected to resume dredging in SWP about noon on Wednesday, April 3, 2019. The WHEELER began working under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #3-2019 (30-days) on March 1, 2019 and will soon rollover into Red Flag Emergency Call Out #4-2019 (30-days).
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) has resumed dredging today at approximately Mile 0.96 AHP. The cutterhead will continue the assignment from Mile 1.5 AHP to Mile 2.0 BHP on the western side of the channel. The Bar Pilots have identified this area as critical to the channel recovery process. The cutterhead started dredging in SWP on December 15, 2018.
CAPTAIN FRANK: The industry cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK is presently dredging at Mile 16.55 BHP on the eastern channel edge. The cutterhead began working on this assignment from Mile 10.5 BHP to Mile 17.8 BHP on February 23, 2019 (R.S. WEEKS initial assignment).
