The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues working on the historic project to deepen the Mississippi River Ship Channel (MRSC) to 50 feet. The USACE has now completed approximately eighty percent (80 %) of Phase 1 of the deepening project. The Phase 1 section of the Ship Channel extends from Venice at Mile 13 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 22 Below Head of Passes (BHP). The completion of Phase 1 of the Ship Channel Deepening is expected to open up the first 150-175 miles of the Ship Channel to vessels with deeper drafts. The last status update including tables and a diagram of the Deepening Project issued by the USACE on March 19, 2021 is HERE.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER SHIP CHANNEL DEEPENING PHASE 1:
The Phase 1 areas of the Ship Channel that could be deepened to 50 feet through the use of cutterhead dredges were completed. The remaining Phase 1 areas will all be deepened by the hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction). The USACE will deepen the Ship Channel from Venice to the Gulf of Mexico (Phase 1) with the three dredge contracts detailed below, specifically the two cutterhead dredge contracts and the one for the hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS. The USACE expects to complete the deepening project in four progressive upriver phases to the upper end of the MRSC at Mile 233.8 AHP (Baton Rouge).
The details on the cutterhead dredge contracts worked under Phase 1 of the historic river deepening project are detailed below:
Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #1-2020: was awarded to Weeks Marine on
August 20, 2020. The cutterhead dredge CAPTAIN FRANK dredged under this contract from
September 11, 2020 to March 3, 2021 and the E.W. ELLEFSEN dredged on this deepening contract from November 18, 2020 and completed the last assignment on March 19, 2021.
Southwest Pass Cutterhead Dredge Rental Contract #2-2020: was awarded to Manson Construction on August 27, 2020. The cutterhead dredge ROBERT M. WHITE worked on this contract from
October 23, 2020 until completion on March 18, 2021.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGES WORKING ON DEEPENING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
GLENN EDWARDS: The GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) continues working on the Ship Channel deepening on assignment at the jetty end of SWP from Mile 18.0 BHP to Mile 20.0 BHP. The cutterhead dredge is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #9-2020 and will complete the final portions of the Ship Channel deepening project. The hopper dredge is also under contract for Fiscal Year 2021 channel maintenance and will be moved between the two contracts by the MVN dependent upon channel conditions. The GLENN EDWARDS has worked on the deepening project since January 14, 2021.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGES WORKING IN THE AREA OF SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
STUYVEASNT: The industry hopper dredge STUYVESANT (Dutra Group) is working on assignment in SWP from Mile 10.5 BHP to Mile 11.8 BHP. The STUYVEASNT is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #6-2020 that was awarded to the Dutra Group in Fiscal Year 2020 to perform channel maintenance in Fiscal Year 2021. The STUYVESANT began work under this contract on March 24, 2021.
NEWPORT: The industry hopper dredge NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is now dredging on assignment near the Venice Jump from Mile 13 AHP to Mile 12 AHP. The NEWPORT is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Rental Contract #7-2020 that was awarded to the Manson Construction in Fiscal Year 2020 to perform channel maintenance in Fiscal Year 2021. The NEWPORT began work under this contract on April 3, 2021.
GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGES WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):
WHEELER: The USACE’s hopper dredge WHEELER remains delayed working to secure a dry dock contract to repair a damaged propeller. The WHEELER will perform Readiness Exercise #1-2021 in SWP after these repairs have been completed.
CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) IN THE HOPPER DREDGE DISPOSAL AREA (HDDA):
ILLINOIS: The cutterhead dredge ILLINOIS (Great Lakes Dredge and Dock) has removed and beneficially used approximately 3.6 million cubic yards (mcy) of material from the HDDA under Hopper Dredge Disposal Area Cutterhead Rental Contract #1-2019. The contract includes the removal of 10 mcy in the base with options to add an additional 4 mcy. The project is expected to be completed by early 2022. The material is beneficially being used in the West Bay Receiving Area through a submerged dredge pipeline that will have to be removed up completion of the project. The pipeline retrieval will require at least one complete closure on the Ship Channel in the immediate vicinity of the submerged pipeline (Mile 2.0 AHP to Mile 0 – the Head of Passes).
The Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) reading at 1000 hours today was 15.00 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.07 feet, the most recent crest of 15.14 feet was recorded at 0800 hours yesterday (April 14, 2021) . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gauge issued today indicate cresting stage levels near 15.0 feet over the next few days before beginning a slow fall to 7.6 feet on May 13 (2021).
The Baton Rouge Gauge reading at 1100 hours today was 38.83 feet with a 24-hour change of + 0.19 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Baton Rouge Gauge issued today indicate stage levels over 38.0 feet over the next few days before beginning a slow fall to 17.1 feet on May 13 (2021).
