The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 24) channel maintenance dredging with the dustpan dredges WALLACE McGEORGE and HURLEY working on the Crossings and the industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) working in Southwest Pass. The dustpan dredges are focusing on restoring the central 250 feet of the channel (half channel width) first, the authorized channel width is 500 feet.
DUSTPAN DREDGES WORKING ON THE CROSSINGS ABOVE NEW ORLEANS:
WALLACE McGEORGE: The industry dustpan dredge WALLACE McGEORGE (Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel) completed dredging at Alhambra Crossing (Mile 190.5 Above Head of Passes [AHP]) at 0700 hours today (Monday, June 24, 2024). The White Castle Anchorage (Mile 191.1 AHP to Mile 190.4 AHP) is once again available for normal vessel usage. The WALLACE McGEORGE then moved upriver and began dredging at Bayou Goula (Mile 198 AHP) at 1200 hours today.
HURLEY: The government dustpan dredge HURLEY completed dredging at Red Eye Crossing (Mile 224 AHP) on Saturday (June 22, 2024) and began dredging downriver at Sardine Point at (Mile 219 AHP) later that day.
JADWIN: The government dustpan dredge JADWIN is expected to begin dredging on the Crossings in early July.
INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGES WORKING IN THE AREA OF SOUTHWEST PASS:
GLENN EDWARDS: The GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) continues dredging from Mile 1.0 AHP to Mile 1.0 Below Head of Passes. The GLENN EDWARDS began work under Southwest Pass Hopper Dredge Contract #2-2023 a Fiscal Year 2023 Early Award Hopper Contract on March 4, 2024.
MAXIMUM DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS PER PILOT ASSOCIATION:
(UNCHANGED SINCE July 7, 2023, other than the flocculation-based restriction noted below)
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). The Bar Pilots originally implemented the flocculation-based transit restriction at 1000 hours on June 6, 2024, limiting all inbound vessels with drafts of 38-feet or greater to transit 10 hours before or 4 hours after high tide. On June 13, the flocculation-based transit restriction was adjusted based on continuing transit challenges, the adjustment limits all inbound vessels with drafts of 38-feet or greater to transit 6 hours before or 4 hours after high tide (attached).
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 1500 hours today was 7.93 feet with a 24-hour change of – 0.92 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Prediction (28-Day) for the Carrollton Gage issued today forecasts stages will slowly fall to 6.2 feet on July 2 and then resume a slow rise to 7.5 feet July 17 before beginning a slow fall to 7.0 feet on July 22 (2024).
The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1500 hours was 22.99 feet with a 24-hour change of – 1.67 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 slowly fall to 19.0 feet on July 1 and then slowly rise to 22.4 feet on July 16 and before beginning a slow fall to 21.5 feet on July 22 (2024).
