The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues active channel maintenance dredging efforts on the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC) on the Crossings Above New Orleans and in Southwest Pass. The Associated Branch Pilots (Bar Pilots) increased their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on July 6 (official notice attached) after a temporary reduction to 49 feet on May 22 (2023). The USACE previously released two government dustpan dredges, HURLEY and JADWIN, to address emergency low-water dredge assignments on the shallow draft channel above Baton Rouge. The USACE will begin construction of the saltwater sill at approximately Mile 64 Above Head of Passes (AHP) later this week. The USACE’s last field measurement for the saltwater wedge was taken on July 6, 2023, and documented the wedge had reached Mile 57.2 AHP.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) continues dredging full channel dimensions at Sardine Point (Mile 219 AHP). The dustpan dredge began dredging on the Crossings on May 24, 2023.
HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) completed dredging at Belmont Crossing (Mile 154 AHP) this morning and moved upriver to start dredging at Rich Bend Crossing (Mile 158 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.
HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
DODGE ISLAND: The industry hopper dredge DODGE ISLAND (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) continues working on assignment in SWP from Mile 2.9 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 5.6 BHP. The dredge began work under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #2-2022, the second of the two FY 23 early award contracts, on March 28 (2023).
PADRE ISLAND: The industry hopper dredge PADRE ISLAND (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) has ceased dredging and will soon depart for Galveston. The PADRE ISLAND joined the DODGE ISLAND to work on Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #2-2022 from May 30 to July 10 (2023).
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION: (UPDATED BAR PILOT DRAFT REDUCTION July 7, 2023)
The updated maximum draft recommendation for each Pilot Association as adjusted due to the Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening and due to the adjustment today by the Bar Pilots are listed below. It has been confirmed that the Crescent Pilots will increase their draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater). NOBRA and the Federal Pilots have revised their maximum draft recommendation to match the Bar Pilots at 50 feet as reimplemented today but above the Huey P. Long will remain at 49 feet until further notice.
Associated Branch Pilots of the Port of New Orleans (Bar Pilots): The Bar Pilots increased their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) effective at 1000 hours today (July 7, 2023). The maximum draft was reduced to 49 feet on May 22, 2023. The Bar Pilots originally increased their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on March 16, 2022, prior to the temporary reduction on May 22, 2023.
Crescent River Port Pilots Association (CRPPA): The CPPRA first raised their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on July 20, 2022, and resume a maximum draft recommendation of 50 feet effective today to match the Bar Pilot adjustment.
New Orleans Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association (NOBRA): The NOBRA raised their maximum draft to 50 feet (freshwater) today from the Huey P. Long Bridge (Mile 106 AHP) to Mile 88 AHP. NOBRA will maintain 49 feet as the maximum draft recommendation from Mile 175 AHP (Smoke Bend) to Mile 106 until further notice to allow proper review of channel surveys. 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 to match the draft adjustment by the other Pilot Associations.
- 50 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 106 AHP (Huey P. Long) to the Southwest Pass Sea Buoy is 50 feet (freshwater) as adjusted on July 7, 2023.
River Stages and Forecast Updates:
The Carrollton Gage (New Orleans) reading at 1300 hours today was 2.8 feet a 24-hour change of + 0.04 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 continue a slow rise to 3.6 feet on July 17 and then begin a slow fall to 2.3 feet on August 7, 2023 (A previous forecast projected a low of 1.6 feet on August 2).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1400 hours was 7.79 feet the 24-hour change of + 0.45 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 quick rise to 10.1 feet on July 15 and then to resume a steady fall to 5.6 feet on August 7 (2023).
*Long-range forecasts only include precipitation expected to fall in the next 48-hours.
