The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues active channel maintenance dredging operations on the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC) in Southwest Pass. There are two cutterhead dredges working in the area of Southwest Pass as detailed below, Fiscal Year 2023 dredging operations on the Crossings Above New Orleans were completed in December (2023).
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) WORKING IN THE HOPPER. DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
CAPTAIN FRANK: The USACE awarded Head of Passes Hopper Dredge Disposal Area Contract #2-2022 to Weeks Marine to remove sediment from the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area (HDDA). The cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK continues dredging on assignment in the HDDA and has removed approximately 5.75 million cubic yards (mcy) from the HDDA. Weeks is utilizing the cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK to remove 6.0 mcy of sediment from the HDDA to be beneficially placed in the West Bay Receiving Area. The submerged dredge pipeline was installed during channel closures in late September, dredging operations started on October 1 (2023). The removed sediment is being beneficially utilized for marsh restoration in the West Bay Receiving Area.
Weeks anticipates completing the assignment in the HDDA by January 21 and expects to remove the submerged dredge pipeline during a scheduled channel closure on Tuesday, January 23 from 0700 hours to 1900 hours. The U.S. Coast Guard will confirm the details in a Marine Safety Information Bulletin expected to be issued soon.
EXPECTED FULL CHANNEL CLOSURE CLOSURE(S):
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2024: Complete Channel Closure from 0700 hours to 1900 hours for all vessel traffic from Mile 2 AHP to Mile 0 (Head of Passes). This closure will be utilized by Weeks Marine to remove the submerged dredge pipeline that crosses under the Ship Channel from east to west. Weeks anticipates removing the pipeline during this closure, if successful there will be no further impacts to navigation or need for the backup closure.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2024: BACKUP Complete Channel Closure like the above, only to be utilized if the dredge pipeline is not successfully removed on January 23, 2024.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
ALASKA: The cutterhead dredge ALASKA (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) continues channel maintenance dredging under Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Contract #1-2023 in Southwest Pass. The cutterhead dredge ALASKA continues work on assignment from Mile 5.0 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 8.0 BHP along the right descending bank. The dredge material is being placed behind new foreshore rocks to help fortify this area and close off a recuring crevasse that has formed several times in this area along the western side of Southwest Pass.
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION:
(UNCHANGED SINCE July 6, 2023)
The updated maximum draft recommendation for each Pilot Association as adjusted due to the Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening and a temporary reduction to 49 feet by the Bar Pilots are detailed below:
Associated Branch Pilots of the Port of New Orleans (Bar Pilots): The Bar Pilots returned their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on July 6, 2023. The Bar Pilots originally increased their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) on March 16, 2022, prior to the temporary reduction from May 22 to July 6 (2023).
Crescent River Port Pilots Association (CRPPA): The CPPRA raised their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) in coordination with the Bar Pilots on July 7, 2023. The CRPPA originally increased their maximum draft to 50 feet (freshwater) on July 20.
New Orleans Baton Rouge Steamship Pilots Association (NOBRA): The NOBRA returned their maximum draft recommendation to 50 feet (freshwater) from Mile 175 AHP to Mile 88 AHP on July 7, 2023. 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 to 50 feet by the other Pilot Associations.
- 50 feet from Sea Buoy to Mile 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 50 feet (freshwater) as adjusted on July 6, 2023.
Mississippi River Stages and Forecast Updates:
The Carrollton Gage (New Orleans) reading at 0700 hours today was 3.46 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.75 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gage issued yesterday forecasts stages will continue rise to 7.4 feet on January 24 and will then begin a slow fall to 4.4 feet on February 8 (2024).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 0700 hours was 9.24 feet with a 24-hour change + 0.16 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 continue to rise to 21.2 feet on January 26 and to then begin a slow fall to 11.8 feet on February 8 (2024).
