The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues channel maintenance dredging efforts for the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC) on the Crossings Above New Orleans and in the vicinity of Southwest Pass. The dustpan dredges are all working to restore the central 250 feet of channel (half authorized width) to authorized depths, 48 feet in Low Water Reference Plane (LWRP) above Mile 175 AHP and 53 feet below Mile 175 AHP. The Associated Branch Pilots (Bar Pilots) reduced their maximum draft recommendation to 49 feet (freshwater) on May 22, 2023 (official notice attached). The USACE has adjusted hopper dredge assignments to focus on areas of shoaling impacting the Bar and Crescent Pilots from Venice to Southwest Pass.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSING ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
HURLEY: The USACE dustpan dredge continues working to restore the central 250 feet of the Ship Channel at Red Eye Crossing (Mile 224 AHP) to 48 feet (Low Water Reference Plane – LWRP). The HURLEY began dredging at Red Eye Crossing on May 22, 2023.
JADWIN: The USACE dustpan dredge JADWIN continues dredging at Medora Crossing (Mile 212 AHP) the assignment is to restore the central 250 feet of the channel (250 feet by 48 feet LWRP). The JADWIN began dredging on the Crossings on May 25, 2023.
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) continues dredging the central 250 feet of the channel at Alhambra Crossing (Mile 190.5 AHP). The dustpan dredge began dredging on the Crossings on May 24, 2023. To promote navigational safety around the dredging assignment the White Castle Anchorage (Mile 191.1 AHP to Mile 190.4 AHP) is off limits for vessel usage until dredging at Alhambra is completed (approximately two weeks).
HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) is dredging on assignment from Mile 6.7 AHP to Mile 2.5 AHP. The GLENN EDWARDS is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2022 a Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 23) early award hopper dredge rental contract.
PADRE ISLAND: The industry hopper dredge PADRE ISLAND (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) began dredging on assignment from Mile 2.2 AHP to Mile 1.2 AHP this morning. The PADRE ISLAND is working on the Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #2-2022 the second of two early award contracts along with the DODGE ISLAND.
DODGE ISLAND: The industry hopper dredge DODGE ISLAND (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) is dredging from Mile 0.5 AHP to Mile 2.0 BHP. The hopper dredge began work under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #2-2022 on March 28 (2023).
USACE HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
WHEELER: The WHEELER completed dredging in SWP under Readiness Exercise #4-2023 from May 16 to May 28 (2023). The WHEELER completed Readiness Exercise #1-2023 (February 23 to March 11); Readiness Exercise #2-2023 (March 21 to April 2); and Readiness Exercise #3-2023 (April 19 to May 8). Readiness Exercise #5-2023 is scheduled from June 13 to June 23 and is the last Readiness Exercise of Fiscal Year 2023.
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION:
(UPDATED BAR PILOT DRAFT REDUCTION May 22, 2023)
The updated maximum draft recommendation for each Pilot Association as adjusted due to the Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening are listed below:
Associated Branch Pilots of the Port of New Orleans (Bar Pilots): The Bar Pilots have reduced their maximum draft recommendation to 49 feet (freshwater) effective on May 22, 2023. The Bar Pilots had increased their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on March 16, 2022, prior to this reduction.
Crescent River Port Pilots Association (CRPPA): The CPPRA raised their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on July 20, 2022.
New Orleans Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association (NOBRA): The NOBRA raised their maximum draft to 50 feet (freshwater) from Mile 175 AHP to Mile 88 AHP on March 7, 2023. NOBRA has previously limited the maximum draft recommendation to 49 feet from Mile 175 AHP to Mile 106 AHP on July 13, 2022. The maximum draft recommendation from Mile 175 to 180 remains 47 feet and from Mile 180 to Mile 233.8 it remains 45 feet.
Associated Federal Pilots and Docking Masters of Louisiana (Federal Pilots): The Federal Pilots increased their maximum draft recommendations to the following on July 21, 2022:
- 49 feet from Sea Buoy to Mile 104.7 AHP
- 49 feet from Mile 104.7 AHP to 175 AHP
- 45 feet Mile 175 AHP to 232.4 AHP
- 40 feet Mile 232.4 AHP to 233.8 AHP
The controlling maximum freshwater draft for the MRSC from Mile 175 AHP (Smoke Bend) to the Southwest Pass Sea Buoy is 49 feet (freshwater) as adjusted on May 22, 2023.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER STAGE UPDATES:
The Carrollton Gage (New Orleans) reading at 1100 hours today was 7.44 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.31 feet.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gage issued today forecasts stages will slowly fall to 4.1 feet on June 27 (2023).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1100 hours was 23.01 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.79 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 stages will slowly fall 13.5 feet on June 27 (2023).
