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) were previously released to the USACE Memphis and Vicksburg Districts to work on the shallow-draft channel. The JADWIN was released on August 22 and the HURLEY was released on September 4 (2024). The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) continues dredging on the Crossings Above New Orleans.

The USACE completed construction of the saltwater sill to the first targeted elevation of -55 feet at approximately Mile 63.7 AHP to prevent the advancement of the saltwater wedge from September 14 to September 26 (2024). The USACE suspended the saltwater sill activity due to the higher river stage forecasts. The USACE last predicted the saltwater wedge at Mile 61.5 Above Head of Passes (AHP) on November 14, 2024, indicating the wedge is approximately two miles below the saltwater sill.

 

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 Sardine Point (Mile 219 AHP). The dustpan dredge began dredging for the FY 24 season at Alhambra Crossing on June 14, 2024. The USACE expects the dustpan dredge to complete this final deep-draft assignment tomorrow, December 4, 2024. The dredge will then move upriver and work on shallow-draft assignments north of Baton Rouge.

 

CUTTERHEAD DREDGE AT THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):

 

R.S. WEEKS: The cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS began dredging on the HDDA project at 0900 hours on Monday, November 25, 2024. Two scheduled channel closures were utilized to install the submerged dredge pipeline from the HDDA on the east and into the West Bay Receiving Area on the west side. The base contract requires the removal of 4 million cubic yards of material, with an option to add an additional 4 million cubic yards if required. The cutterhead dredge is expected to remain in the HDDA for the next few months, all sediment removed is being beneficially utilized to create land in the West Bay Receiving Area.

 

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.

 

  1. 50 feet from Sea Buoy to Mile 175 AHP
  2. 45 feet Mile 175 AHP to 232.4 AHP 
  3. 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 1.98 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 short rise to 3.2 feet by December 6 and remain steady for approximately one week before resuming a slow fall to 1.5 feet on December 31 (2024).

The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1300 hours today was 9.56 feet with a 24-hour change of -0.50 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 remain steady near 9.0 feet over the next week or so and will then slowly fall 7.5 feet on December 31 (2024).

*Long-range forecasts only include precipitation expected to fall in the next 48-hours.