The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) channel maintenance dredging on the Mississippi River Ship Channel on December 4, 2024. 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) dredged on the Crossings from
June 14 to December 4, 2024.
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.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE AT THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
R.S. WEEKS: The cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS began dredging on the HDDA project on Monday, November 25, 2024. The cutterhead dredge has removed approximately 1 million cubic yards of material to date. 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. 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. At least one more channel closure will be required to remove the submerged dredge pipeline after the project is 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).
BIG RIVER COALITION
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION: (continued)
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 1600 hours today was 3.07 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.46 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 to rise until cresting at 5.7 feet on January 2 and are then expected to begin a slow fall to 2.5 feet on January 20 (2025).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1600 hours today was 11.43 feet with a 24-hour change of + 1.21 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 rise until cresting at 17.6 feet on December 30, 2024, and to then begin a slow fall to 7.7 feet on January 20 (2025).
