The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) channel maintenance dredging on the Mississippi River Ship Channel. The government dustpan dredges HURLEY and JADWIN have been released from the Crossings to respond to the emergency low water situation above Baton Rouge. The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) and the industry hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) are expected to continue working on the Deep-Draft Crossings. The USACE will start the construction of the saltwater sill at approximately Mile 64 AHP to prevent the advancement of the saltwater wedge. The saltwater sill contract was awarded to Weeks Marine, Weeks is working to determine which cutterhead will be utilized but has already started preparations. The USACE last measured the saltwater wedge at Mile 34.6 Above Head of Passes (AHP) on August 26, 2024.
DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE Mc GEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) continues dredging full channel dimensions at Bayou Goula (Mile 197.8 AHP). The dustpan dredge began dredging for the FY 24 season at Alhambra Crossing on June 14, 2024.
JADWIN: The government dustpan dredge JADWIN was released on August 27, 2024, to respond to the emergency low water conditions on the shallow-draft channel. The JADWIN now working for the USACE Memphis District. The dustpan began dredging on the Crossings in FY 24 on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
HURLEY: The government dustpan dredge HURLEY was released yesterday to the USACE Vicksburg District to respond to the emergency low water conditions. The dustpan dredge began dredging in FY 24 on June 17, 2024.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
NEWPORT: The industry hopper dredge NEWPORT continues dredging on assignment at Granada Crossing
(Mile 204.3 AHP). The NEWPORT is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Contract #2-2024.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE WORKING in the NEW ORLENAS HARBOR:
CAPTAIN FRANK: The cutterhead dredge CAPATIN FRANK (Weeks Marine) has returned to dredging in the New Orleans Harbor working both on channel maintenance and on the Harbor Deepening contract. The CAPTAIN FRANK began work under this contract on August 3 (2024).
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION:
(UNCHANGED SINCE July 7, 2023)
The updated maximum draft recommendation for each Pilot Association as adjusted by the Mississippi River Ship Channel Deepening is 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 to 49 feet 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, after also temporarily reducing their maximum draft to 49 feet (freshwater).
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) remains unadjusted since July 7, 2023.
Mississippi River Stages and Forecast Updates:
The Carrollton Gage (New Orleans) reading at 1200 hours today was 3.24 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.29 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gage issued today forecasts that stages will continue a slow fall to 2.8 feet on October 3 (2024).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 0900 hours was 7.46 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.08 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 a slow fall to 4.4 feet on October 3 (2024).
*Long-range forecasts only include precipitation expected to fall in the next 48-hours.
