The Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) continues responding to active shoaling in Southwest Pass (SWP) deposited by long-term high river stages (flood event).  There are three industry hopper dredges and one government hopper dredge working in SWP.  There are two cutterhead dredges working to restore the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area at the Head of Passes.  The MVN will advertise a bid opening for Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #8-2019 on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

TRANSIT RESTRICTIONS AT SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

1. The Bar Pilots maximum draft recommendation remains at 44 feet (freshwater) as established at 1000 hours on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.  
2. The Crescent River Port Pilots maximum draft recommendation of  44 feet (freshwater) remains as established on Wednesday, April 17, 2019.  
3. The Federal Pilots increased their maximum draft recommendation to 44 feet (freshwater) on Wednesday, April 24, 2019.

  INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

 GLENN EDWARDS: The industry hopper dredge (Manson Construction) is dredging on assignment from Mile 2.2 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 1.0 AHP.  The GLENN EDWARDS resumed dredging in SWP on Sunday, March 31, 2019 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #7-2019.   This contract should be completed around June 2, 2019.

NEWPORT:  The hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is presently dredging at the Head of Passes (Mile 0.5 AHP to Mile 0.0.  The NEWPORT is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #1-2019.  The NEWPORT began dredging in SWP on November 28, 2018. This contract should be completed around June 5, 2019.

 STUYVESANT:  The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is dredging from Mile 5.5 Below Head of Passes (BHP) to Mile 6.1 BHP.  The STUYVESANT began dredging in SWP on Thursday, March 7, 2019 under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2019.  This contract should be completed around June 12, 2019.

 GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

RED FLAG EMERGENCY CALL OUTS:

 WHEELER:  MVN’s hopper dredge WHEELER is presently at the Venice Jump from approximately Mile 10.5 AHP to Mile 10.1AHP.  The WHEELER began working under Red Flag Emergency Call Out #4-2019 (30-days) on April 10, 2019 and is now expected to complete this Red Flag assignment on May 12, 2019.  The WHEELER is scheduled to resume dredging operations under Readiness Exercise #2-2019 from May 21, 2019 to June 3, 2019.

 CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):

 CAPTAIN FRANK: The industry cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK is presently dredging in the HDDA.  The cutterhead dredged in SWP from February 23, 2019 until May 2, 2019.  The cutterhead began dredging in the HDDA on May 3, 2019.

R.S. WEEKS: The industry cutterhead dredge R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) has resumed dredging in the Hopper Dredge Disposal Area and is beneficially using all material in the Pass A’Loutre Wildlife Management Area.  The cutterhead dredged in SWP from December 15, 2018 to April 24, 2019 and began dredging in the HDDA on April 26, 2019.

DUSTPAN DREDGE(S) ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:

HURLEY: The Corps dustpan dredge HURLEY commenced dredging the central 250 feet of channel at Red Eye Crossing (Mile 224 AHP) on Saturday May 4, 2019.

WALLCE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLCE McGEORGE is now expected to commence dredging the central 250 feet of channel at Alhambra Crossing (Mile 191  AHP) on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

The White Castle Anchorage (Mile 191.1 AHP to Mile 190.4 AHP) will be off limits for vessel usage while dredging operations are conducted at Alhambra Crossing.  The revised closure of this anchorage is expected to begin tomorrow morning (Tuesday, May 7, 2019) and is tentatively expected to last two weeks.

The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1000 hours was 16.61 feet, with a 24-hour change of – 0.01 feet.

The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 1100 hours was 41.69 feet, with a 24-hour change of – 0.05 feet.

Extended Streamflow Predictions reflect increased river stages with the Carrollton Gauge now estimated to reach a crest of 16.8 feet on May 24th and a crest at Baton Rouge estimated at 42.5 feet on May 23, 2019.  

The graph below is reproduced from NOAA’s National Weather Service website and represents an experimental product to account for the complexity of accurately predicting long-range precipitation.  This forecast projects stage levels based on expected precipitation for 2 days (top) and 16 days (bottom) and was developed within the North American Ensemble Forecast System (NAEFS) computer model and highlights Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF).  Along with the forecasts, a shaded area is also provided to indicate uncertainty for the forecast each day in the future.   These plots are experimental and not an official forecast product.

Please see the attached report for complete details related to dredge assignments.