The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues working to restore authorized channel dimensions across the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC). The USACE officially began Phase 2 of the Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening Project at 0001 hours last night (October 8, 2021) with the government dustpan dredge JADWIN deepening to 50 feet at Smoke Bend (Mile 175 Above Head of Passes [AHP]).
MISSISSIPPI RIVER SHIP CHANNEL DEEPENING PHASE 2:
JADWIN: The government dustpan dredge JADWIN commenced the dredging to deepen the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 Feet at Smoke Bend (Mile 175 AHP) earlier today.
The USACE recently meet with representatives from pilot associations and navigation stakeholders to formalize a revised logistical approach to the Phase 2 of the MRSC deepening operations. The adjusted
Phase 2 assignments will deepen the four southernmost (downriver) of the Crossings Above New Orleans, a reach of the Ship Channel from Smoke Bend (Mile 175 AHP) to Fairview Crossing (Mile 115 AHP). The deepening has begun at Smoke Bend with the dustpan dredge JADWIN. The dustpan dredge HURLEY is expected to commence deepening at Belmont Crossing (Mile 154 AHP) tomorrow (October 9, 2021). The dustpans will then be joined by the hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS at Fairview Crossing later this month (October 2021) The Phase 2 dredging operations will deepen a reach of the Ship Channel extending a few miles above New Orleans to an area near Donaldsonville (Louisiana).
DUSTPAN DREDGES WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
HURLEY: The government dustpan dredge HURLEY continues dredging full channel dimensions at Sardine Point (Mile 228 AHP). The HURLEY is scheduled to commence a Phase 2 deepening assignment at Belmont Crossing (mile 154 AHP) tomorrow (Saturday, October 9, 2021). The HURLEY had been released to address areas of shoaling on the shallow-draft channel upriver of Baton Rouge before returning to the Crossings on September 25, 2021.
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE continues dredging full channel dimensions at Alhambra Crossing (Mile 192 AHP). The dustpan began dredging on the Crossings on May 20, 2021.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER SHIP CHANNEL DEEPENING PHASE 1:
The USACE has recently requested that the owners of the three identified obstructions in the Venice Corridor provide new surveys to document accurate depths over the two pipelines and utility cable. The lack of accurate survey data for the three remaining obstructions will continue to delay the mechanically deepened channel being opened up to deeper vessel traffic. The channel deepening effort now depends on accurate depth of cover surveys over these three lines, accurate depth of cover surveys would provide integrity to the maximum draft decision-making process. The Big River Coalition’s latest detailed update on the three remaining obstructions in the Venice Corridor is attached.
The 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 AHP to Mile 22 Below Head of Passes. The Big River Coalition is actively working with the USACE to identify advanced hydrographic survey equipment and techniques that can be used to provide accurate “depth of cover” survey data over these obstructions. This data will be utilized in the informed decision-making process as deeper draft recommendations are made based on accurate survey data over the three documented obstructions. The USACE mechanically deepened the Ship Channel from Venice to the Gulf of Mexico with the utilization of the following dredge contracts:
Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #1-2020: was awarded to Weeks Marine on August 20, 2020. This contract was completed by the cutterhead dredges CAPTAIN FRANK that dredged from September 11, 2020 until March 3, 2021 and the E.W. ELLEFSEN that dredged from November 18, 2020 until March 19, 2021.
Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2020: was awarded to Manson Construction on August 27, 2020. The cutterhead dredge ROBERT M. WHITE dredged under this contract from October 23, 2020 until completion on March 18, 2021.
Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #9-2020: was awarded to Manson Construction on September 21, 2020. The GLENN EDWARDS worked under this deepening contract from January 14, 2021 until completion on May 7, 2021.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER STAGE UPDATES:
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1300 hours today was 3.34 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 Carrollton Gauge issued today forecasts stages to remain steady for the next five days before rising to crest at 4.7 feet on October 20 and to then begin a slow fall in stages down to 3.3 feet on November 8 (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 1300 hours was 9.33 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.99 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Baton Rouge Gauge issued today forecasts a couple more days of a slow fall and then to begin a quick rise predicted to crest at 10.2 on October 20 and then to begin a slow fall to 6.2 feet on November 8 (2021).
