The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed the Phase 1 dredging for the historic project to deepen the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC) to 50 feet on May 7, 2021. The Phase 1 section of the Ship Channel extends from Venice at Mile 13 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 22 Below Head of Passes (BHP). The USACE uncovered some depth anomalies with three utility pipelines and one utility cable that cross under the Ship Channel in the Venice area between Mile 12.0 AHP to Mile 11.0 AHP. The USACE continues working to verify the depth over these obstructions in this Venice Corridor before the Ship Channel can be opened up to a deepened draft (50 Feet). The USACE has reached out to the owners of the four obstructions and is attempting to gain integrity on the depth of the identified obstructions. The USACE is working to maintain or restore at least half of the authorized channel width or the central 250 feet of the channel on the Crossings. (Federally authorized channel dimensions on the Crossings remain 45 feet deep by 500 feet wide.)
DUSTPAN DREDGES WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
HURLEY: The government dustpan dredge HURLEY is now dredging full channel dimensions (500 feet) at Red Eye Crossing (Mile 224 AHP). The HURLEY commenced dredging on the Crossings on Wednesday, May 26, 2021
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE continues dredging the central 250 feet of channel at Medora Crossing (Mile 212 AHP). The dustpan dredge began dredging on the Crossings on May 20, 2021.
JADWIN: The government dustpan dredge departed the Crossings to be repaired and is now dredging near the Port of Morgan City. The JADWIN started dredging on the Crossings on June 24, 2021 and will return to the Crossings by early August.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE WORKING IN THE NEW ORLEANS HARBOR:
C.R. McCASKILL: The industry cutterhead dredge C.R. McCASKILL continues dredging operations along the City Front Wharves in the New Orleans Harbor. The C.R. McCASKILL began dredging in the New Orleans Harbor on July 11, 2021.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
ILLINOIS: The cutterhead dredge ILLINOIS (Great Lakes Dredge and Dock) has removed and beneficially utilized approximately 10.0 million cubic yards (mcy) of material from the HDDA under Hopper Dredge Disposal Area Cutterhead Rental Contract #1-2019. The contract includes the removal of 10 mcy in the base and the USACE recently awarded options to add an additional 2 mcy to this assignment. The project is expected to be completed by late September (2022). The material is beneficially being used in the West Bay Receiving Area through a submerged dredge pipeline that will have to be removed up completion of the project. The pipeline retrieval will require at least one complete closure on the Ship Channel in the immediate vicinity of the submerged pipeline (Mile 2.0 AHP to Mile 0 – the Head of Passes).
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 0800 hours today was 8.84 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.26 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gauge issued today forecasts stages will remain steady for the next few days cresting near 8.9 feet until July 31 and to then begin a steady fall to 5.3 feet on August 24 (2021).
The highest crest recorded on the Carrollton Gauge in 2021 to date is 15.44 feet at 1700 hours on April 16, 2021.The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 0900 hours today was 26.69 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.35 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Baton Rouge Gauge issued today predicts stages will crest on July 28 at 26.9 feet and then begin a fall down to 14.7 feet on August 24 (2021).
