![]() ![]() Paul district, dredging continues because of shoaling and is expected to continue most of the 2019 shipping season, according to the USACE St. Shoaling and sandbars will be problematic throughout the entire river system where flooding has been ongoing. Due to heavy flows and strong current, shoaling and sandbars are a major issue." The Southwest Pass is one of the channels at the mouth of the Mississippi River that empties into the Gulf of Mexico at the southwestern most tip of the Mississippi River. "There are five dredges working in the SWP to maintain draft. "Midweek, there were 15 to 20 ships in queue waiting entry," said Russell. Vessels anchoring in that area with a draft of 35 feet or greater will maintain a pilot on board while at anchor." Other safety protocols are also in place when New Orleans experiences heavy fog. "At 16 feet and above, all vessel movement will be daylight only from mile marker 233 through 90.5. These protocols include daylight-only docking/undocking at midstream terminals when water levels are above 12 feet and extra tug power remains in barge fleets at all times, said Russell. In the Southwest Pass (SWP), there is congestion due to safety protocols and high water. Roads and bridges in flooded areas limit rail and truck movements." Empty barge availability in New Orleans is limited and costly, and ships are backing up in New Orleans waiting for cargo deliveries. "Barge logistics are totally out of balance. "The system and everything within are stressed and upside down," said Tom Russell, Russell Marine Group. Barges are also subject to no-wake zones that also slow their transit time to the Gulf. Louis, but barge traffic continues to be disrupted by reduced tow sizes and transit time due to restrictions of daylight-only hours under some bridges between St. The Lower Mississippi River remains open below St. Here is a link to the National Weather Service hydrograph for current and future river stage forecasts at St. On Sunday, June 16, the river stage was at 42.7 feet. ![]() Louis crested for the second time this year at 45.7 feet on June 10, 3.9 feet lower than the record level of 49.6 feet set on Aug. Louis Harbor is closed until the river level recedes below 38 feet, which is not expected to occur until June 20, according to current forecasts. Louis District reporting lock closures and other flood information: …. ![]() Projected opening dates run from June 16 to as late as June 23. As of June 16, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reported Lock and Dam 24, Lock and Dam 25, Mel Price Locks and Dam, Locks 27 and Costello Lock and Dam were still closed. Louis have been closed on and off over the past three months due to flooding conditions. Upper Mississippi River Locks 11 through 27 from the Illinois-Wisconsin boarder to St. Louis Harbor shut down barges from moving up or downriver through there. Since then, flooding and ensuing lock closures have kept most of the entire Upper Mississippi River closed. Paul, Minnesota, locked through Lock and Dam 2 near Hastings on April 24. Barrett, pushing 12 barges heading to St. Paul, Minnesota, the northernmost point on the Upper Mississippi River, so far this shipping season. It has also disrupted commerce on the rivers that depends on barges to move product, especially fertilizer, grain and oilseeds, to and from the Gulf of Mexico and other points along the way. The long, record-breaking flooding of 2019 on the Mississippi River system has taken a toll on farmland, personal property and the many cities and towns that line the rivers. (Graph courtesy of the USDA's June 13 Grain Transportation Report) Those locks, also known as the Chain of Rocks Lock, are the last locks barges transit through on the Mississippi River heading to St. This graph shows the negative effect that flooding has had on barge movements on the Mississippi River moving through Locks 27 in Granite City Illinois. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |