LMR Dredging Update 111919.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. All three dustpan dredges are working on the Crossings, while dredging on the Ship Channel in the area of Southwest Pass has now been completed with Fiscal Year 2019 dredge contracts.

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 ceased dredging full channel dimensions at Bayou Goula Crossing (Mile 198.2 AHP) and is being repaired.  The dustpan is expected to resume dredging operations at Bayou Goula no later than tomorrow (Wednesday, November 20, 2019). The industry dustpan dredge commenced dredging on the Crossings on May 9, 2019.

JADWIN: The Corps dustpan dredge continues dredging full channel dimensions at Philadelphia Crossing (Mile 183 AHP). 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) has completed the work in SWP under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #8-2019.  The NEWPORT worked on three separate Fiscal Year 2019 Hopper Dredge Rental Contracts and dredged consecutively on the Ship Channel the majority of the time since November 28, 2018.

CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

 J.S. CHATRY: Weeks Marine’s newly christened cutterhead dredge J.S. CHATRY has completed the assignment on the Ship Channel under Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2019.  Rental Contract #2-2019 was originally started on July 24, 2019 and worked by multiple cutterhead dredges.

CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):

J.S. CHATRY:  The J.S. CHATRY has now resumed work on the HDDA contract.  All material is being beneficially used in the Pass A Loutre Wildlife Management Area (PALWMA).  The MVN extended this contract with supplemental funding from 12 million cubic yards (mcy) of material to be removed from the HDDA originally to an increased 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 recreated in the PALWMA.

The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1500 hours today was 10.00 feet, with a 24-hour change of  -0.30 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.