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 started the construction of the saltwater sill at approximately Mile 63.7 AHP to prevent the advancement of the saltwater wedge on September 14, 2024. The saltwater sill contract was awarded to Weeks Marine, Weeks is working the project with the cutterhead dredge J.S. CHATRY. The USACE last measured the saltwater wedge at Mile 46.1 Above Head of Passes (AHP) on September 10, 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 Granada Crossing (Mile 205 AHP). The dredge rode out Hurricane Francine close to this assignment and resumed dredging once Port Condition Normal was enacted by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) after the passing of Hurricane Francine. 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 continues 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 to return to the USACE Vicksburg District to respond to the emergency low water conditions on September 4, 2024. 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 Red Eye Crossing
(Mile 224 AHP). The hopper dredge rode out Francine in New Orleans and returned to work once the USCG reopened the Ship Channel. 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) continues dredging in the New Orleans Harbor working on both channel maintenance and on the Harbor Deepening contract. The dredge is presently working on assignment between Mile 101 AHP and Mile 99 AHP. The CAPTAIN FRANK began work under this contract on August 3 (2024).
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS:
PADRE ISLAND: The hopper dredge PADRE ISLAND (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock) resumed work in Southwest Pass on September 14, 2024, and is addressing shoals from approximately Mile 8.0 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 12.0 BHP. The PADRE ISLAND is expected to move upriver to work on the Crossings once the assignments in SWP are completed.
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 1300 hours today was 3.41 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.21 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 slowly fall to 2.6 feet on September 18 and then being a slow rise to 3.5 feet on September 25 and to then resume a slow fall to 2.5 feet on October 14 (2024).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1300 hours was 6.02 feet the 24-hour change feature was unavailable. 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 quick rise to 7.0 feet on September 23 and will then resume a slow fall to 3.5 feet on October 14 (2024).
*Long-range forecasts only include precipitation expected to fall in the next 48-hours.
