Lower Mississippi River (LMR) Dredging Update 111119
LMR Dredging Update 111119.pdf
The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) continues dredging operations in response to record shoaling deposited by historic long-term high river stages (record flood event created by record precipitation levels). The MVN is working to recover authorized channel dimensions on the Crossings Above New Orleans and in Southwest Pass. All three dustpan dredges are working on the Crossings and a cutterhead and hopper dredge are working on the channel in Southwest Pass.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
HURLEY: The Corps dustpan dredge HURLEY continues dredging full channel dimensions (500 feet by 45 feet) at Sardine Point Crossing (Mile 219 Above Head of Passes [AHP]). The government dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on May 4, 2019.
WALLCE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLCE McGEORGE has completed the assignment at Alhambra Crossing (Mile 192 AHP). The White Castle Anchorage (Mile 191.1 AHP to Mile 190.4 AHP) has been reopened or made available under normal conditions. The WALLACE McGEORGE will commence dredging at Bayou Goula (Mile 198.2 AHP) shortly. The industry dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on May 9, 2019.
JADWIN: The Corps dustpan dredge continues dredging full channel dimensions at Smoke Bend (Mile 175 AHP) but is expected to move to Philadelphia Crossing (Mile 183 AHP) later today. The government dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on June 27, 2019.
HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN THE SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
NEWPORT: The industry hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is dredging on the jetty end of SWP. The NEWPORT is dredging under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #8-2019 and is expected to complete this contract on November 18, 2019.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
J.S. CHATRY: Weeks Marine’s newly christened cutterhead dredge J.S. CHATRY is dredging at Mile 0.2 AHP working on assignment from Mile 0.4 AHP to Mile 1.0 Below Head of Passes on the western side of the Ship Channel. The cutterhead is working to complete Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2019 that was started on July 24, 2019 and worked by multiple dredges.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) has departed the HDDA and the contract is presently idle. The J.S. CHATRY will resume work on the HDDA contract after completion of the present assignment at the Head of Passes. All material will be beneficially used in the Pass A Loutre Wildlife Management Area (PALWMA). The MVN was able to extend this contract due to supplemental funding from 12 million cubic yards (mcy) of material to be removed from the HDDA to a total of 15.075 mcy. The cutterhead dredges have now beneficially utilized more than 10.5 mcy of material from the HDDA and restored approximately 840 acres upon completion approximately 1,200 acres will have been added in the PALWMA.
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1000 hours today was 10.37 feet, with a 24-hour change of -0.03 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.
