Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Dredging Update 71219
The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) has confirmed that all dredging activity has now ceased and dredges have sought safe harbor. The dredges will wait for Tropical Storm Barry to pass before resuming dredge operations. The MVN awarded Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2019 to Weeks Marine. Weeks will respond to this contract with two cutterhead dredges: C.R. McCASKILL and the CAPTAIN FRANK.
TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
The only ships moving are those needing to re-anchor or be repositioned, the restrictions below have not changed. However, the channel conditions and surveys will be reviewed after the impacts of T.S. Barry have cleared our area. Attached you will find Captain Ron Branch’s update from the Louisiana Maritime Association as issued after the MVN’s Navigation Restoration Team Conference call hosted at 1000 hours this morning, the briefing package provided by the National Weather Service during that call is also attached.
- The Bar Pilots maximum draft recommendation was reduced an additional two feet to 42 feet (freshwater) at 1000 hours on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.
- The Crescent River Port Pilots maximum draft recommendation of 44 feet (freshwater) remains as established on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.
- The Federal Pilots reduced their maximum draft recommendation to 42 feet (freshwater) on Wednesday, June 26, 2019.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
STUYVESANT: The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is anchored in the Pilottown Anchorage. The STUYVESANT began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #10-2019 on June 14, 2019.
NEWPORT: The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is anchored in the Pilottown Anchorage. The NEWPORT is now dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #8-2019. The NEWPORT began dredging in SWP on November 28, 2018.
GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
WHEELER: MVN’s hopper dredge WHEELER is at the dock in New Orleans and will resume dredging under Red Flag Emergency Callout #5-2019 once the conditions allow. The Red Flag was originally approved for 45-days with emergency dredging operations commencing on June 3, 2019. The Red Flag was then extended on June 28, 2019 until August 31, 2019 after not being able to award the one bid received to Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #11-2019.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
C.R. McCASKILL: Weeks Marine’s cutterhead dredge C.R. McCASKILL is scheduled to start dredging at Mile 1.0 AHP on the western channel toe on July 16, 2019 under Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2019. However, the impacts T. S. Barry may alter this advertised start date.
CAPTAIN FRANK: Weeks Marine’s cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK is expected to start dredging at Mile 5.0 BHP on the western channel toe by July 20, 2019 under Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2019. However, the impacts of T. S. Barry may alter this advertised start date.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) has spudded down in place in the HDDA and will resume dredging operations when weather conditions allow.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
WALLCE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLCE McGEORGE has sought safe harbor at Devils Swamp in the Baton Rouge Harbor (Mile 235 AHP). The industry dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on May 9, 2019.
HURLEY: The Corps dustpan dredge HURLEY will ride out the storm at Red Eye Crossing on the left descending bank (Mile 223.5 AHP). The government dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on May 4, 2019
JADWIN: The Corps dustpan dredge JADWIN will ride out the storm at Belmont Crossing (Mile 154 AHP) on the right descending bank. The government dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on June 27, 2019.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1000 hours was 16.74 feet, with a 24-hour change of + 0.57 feet.
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 0800 hours was 42.29 feet, with a 24-hour change of + 0.01 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 NOTE THE SPIKE IN RIVER LEVELS ON THE CARROLLTON GAUGEIS STILL FORECAST TO REACH 19 FEET EARLY TOMORROW MORNING AND TO THEN RECEDE. There are 168 bays still opened at the Bonnet Carré Spillway, no additional bays are expected to be opened.
Please see the attached reports for complete details related to dredge locations (assignments), channel conditions and the latest information on Tropical Storm Barry.
Tropical Storm Barry – Navigation Restoration Conference Report – July 12, 2019
