Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Dredging Update 91119
Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Dredging Update 91119.pdf
The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) continues dredging operations in response to active shoaling deposited by historic long-term high river stages (record flood event created by record precipitation levels). The MVN is now concentrating efforts on the Crossings Above New Orleans as the channel is Southwest Pass has mostly been recovered. There are two dustpan and two hopper dredges working on the Crossings and one cutterhead dredge working on the channel in Southwest Pass. The Corps’ dustpan dredge JADWIN was released to assist on the shallow-draft channel but is expected to return to the Crossings this weekend.
The White Castle Anchorage (Mile 191.1 AHP to Mile 190.4 AHP) will reopen for normal vessel usage at noon today.
TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
- The Bar Pilots maximum draft recommendation was increased to 46 feet (freshwater) at 1000 hours on August 28, 2019.
- The Crescent River Port Pilots maximum draft recommendation was also increased to 47 feet (freshwater) on August 28, 2019.
- The Federal Pilots maximum draft recommendation remains 45 feet (freshwater).
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
C.R. McCASKILL: Weeks Marine’s cutterhead dredge C.R. McCASKILL is dredging at Mile 17.82 Below Head of Passes (BHP) on assignment from Mile 14.3 BHP to Mile 18.0. BHP on the eastern side of the channel. The cutterhead began dredging on July 24, 2019 under Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2019.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) continues dredging at the HDDA, all material is being beneficially used in the Pass A’Loutre Wildlife Management Area (PALWMA). The contract is to remove 12 million cubic yards (mcy) of material, approximately 8.4 mcy of material have now been beneficially utilized in the PALWMA.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE NEW ORLEANS HARBOR:
CAPTAIN FRANK: Weeks Marine’s cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK is dredging on assignment in the New Orleans Harbor at Mile 94.73 Above Head of Passes (AHP). The dredge began working under New Orleans Harbor Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019 on August 30, 2019 and will work on assignment from the Erato Street to Poydras Street Wharves.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
HURLEY: The Corps dustpan dredge HURLEY continues dredging operations on the central 250 feet of channel at Red Eye Crossing (Mile 224 AHP). The government dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on May 4, 2019.
WALLCE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLCE McGEORGE has completed dredging at Alhambra Crossing (Mile 191 AHP) and is moving downstream to Philadelphia Crossing (Mile 183 AHP). The White Castle Anchorage (Mile 191.1 AHP to Mile 190.4 AHP) will reopen for normal vessel usage beginning at 1200 hours today. The industry dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on May 9, 2019.
JADWIN: Expected to resume dredging by Saturday, September 14th at Philadelphia Crossing (Mile 183 AHP) and relieve the WALLACE McGEORGE to move upriver for the next assignment at Baton Rouge Front (Mile 231 AHP).
HOPPER DREDGE(S) ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
NEWPORT: The industry hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) continues dredging the central 250 feet of channel at two locations: Missouri Bend (Mile 222 AHP) during daylight hours and alternating to Sardine Point (Mile 219 AHP) from dusk to dawn. The NEWPORT is dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #8-2019. This contract was extended, the hopper dredge will remain on the Ship Channel until early November 2019.
STUYVESANT: The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is dredging the central 300 feet of channel at Bayou Goula Crossing (Mile 198 AHP). The STUYVESANT began dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #10-2019 on June 14, 2019 and is expected to continue dredging on this contract until October 1, 2019.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 0800 hours today was 5.95 feet, with a 24-hour change of – 0.29 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.
