1. No category

Thursday, March 26, 2015
Noteworthy

Lower Mississippi and Gulf is experiencing high water/flows, this is impacting tow sizes and transit times.
Expect delays in dropping and picking up barges within ports. Transit thru Memphis and Vicksburg's bridges are
daylight only southbound traffic.
 The Bayou Sorrel, Colorado and Brazos locks on the West Canal are currently experiencing delays of 24 hours
or more.
 Arkansas River is experiencing high flows from Lock 7 to mouth of river; expect slow transits for the next 2-3
days.
 Calcasieu Lock will be closed to navigation from 3/17 to 4/10 Monday thru Friday from 0700-1700, with
minor delays expected.
 Bayou Sorrel Locks will be closed from 15 July to 15
September for dewatering operations, repairs and
maintenance to the lock. We will be able to transit the
Algiers lock but significant delays are expected during the
closure for barges going to and from the West Canal due
to the increase in volume through this lock.
 Potential closure of the Montgomery Point lock from
August 24 to September 30. This closure if it occurs will
shut off navigation to the Arkansas River.
Current loading drafts
Upper Mississippi
Linwood to Meekers (UM475)
9’3 Max
Meekers to St. Louis
9’6 Max
Ohio
St. Louis South
1’6 Freeboard
Cairo South
1’6” Freeboard
Illinois
Lemont to Starved Rock
9’3 Max
Pittsburgh to Pt. Pleasant
10’6 Max
Starved Rock to Peoria
9’6 Max
Pt. Pleasant South
11’6 Max
Peoria South
10’0 Max
Lock Delays
Scheduled Lock Closures
Mississippi
Mel Price UM200 Auxiliary closed
eta end of April 2015
Lock 12
UM557
0700-1900 5/15
Lock 27
UM185
Auxiliary closed
Closed until April 15th
Kanawha River
Winfield Lock
Main Chamber
3/23 to 6/10
Tennessee River
Wilson Main Chamber Auxiliary open
3/23 to 3/28
5/5 to 6/11
Old Hickory Lock
Lock
Lock Delay
O’Brien Lock
SG326
0
<1 Hours
Lock 27
UM185
2
1-2 Hours
Lock 20
UM343
1
<1 Hours
R C Byrd
OR279
Lock 52
OR939
Dam down
Traffic passing
Bayou Sorrel
PA 36
19
18-24 Hours
Port Allen
LM228
3
2-4 Hours
Algiers
LM88
23
34-36 Hours
Industrial
LM92
26
30-36 Hours
<1 Hours
Main Chamber
Current River Conditions
7/14 to 8/4
Pickwick Lock
Main Chamber
8/17 to 9/30
intermittent closures
Guntersville Lock
Main Chamber
8/17 to 9/30
intermittent closures
Arkansas River
Montgomery Point
Complete Closure
8/24 to 9/30
Chouteau Lock
Complete Closure
5/11 to 5/17
Webbers Falls Lock
Complete Closure
8/24 to 9/14
Gulf & West Canal
Leland Bowman
Lock Queue
Intermittent Closures
3/4 to 3/31 Mon– Thurs. from 0800-1630
Calcasieu Lock
Intermittent Closures
3/17 to 4/10 0700—1700 Mon. thru Fri.
Bayou Sorrel Lock PA36
Complete closure 7/15 to 9/15
M/V Jeffboat near Leavenworth Indiana by Alan Hecht
Area
24 Hr.
Change
Current
3/27
3/28
Flood
Stage (ft.)
St. Paul
0
3.45
3.4
3.4
14
Dubuque
-0.3
6.61
6.7
6.6
17
Morris
+0.5
6.72
6.6
6.4
16
Peoria
-0.3
12.32
12.2
12
18
St. Louis
+0.9
10.26
11
12.8
30
Cape
Girardeau
+0.8
21.87
21.7
22.4
32
Pittsburgh
+0.3
16.52
16.7
16.7
25
Cincinnati
-1.3
33.83
33.3
33.7
52
Evansville
-2.4
37.1
33.3
30.9
42
Paducah
-1.1
42.6
41.1
38.7
39
Cairo
-0.5
46.89
45.5
43.7
40
Memphis
0
31.64
31.4
31.1
34
Muskogee
+0.9
19.2
——
——
28
Little Rock
-0.2
7.67
7.8
7.7
23
Vicksburg
+0.1
41.73
42.2
42.4
43
Baton Rouge
+0.5
34.79
34.8
35
35
New Orleans
+0.1
13.24
13.5
13.6
17
Weather
Weather Report
A wet cycle highlights the weather today.
A cold front stretches across the Ohio Valley
to the coast of TX. The frontal system will
move through the remainder of the region
today. Light/moderate rain is expected.
Another cold front will move through the
watershed Sunday/Monday with light rain/
snow expected during its passage.
A third cold front will move through the watershed Tuesday-Thursday with moderate to
locally heavy rain expected during its passage. A wetter cycle of above normal precipitation is expected to begin next week.
River Specific Information
Current Flooding

Minor to moderate flood stage is occurring on several tributaries in the Lower
Mississippi/Tennessee/Ohio Valleys.

Minor to moderate flood stage is occurring on the Ohio River downstream from
Owensboro. The river is steadily falling and expected to drop below flood stage
during the weekend.

Minor to moderate flood stage is occurring along the main stem Mississippi River
from Cairo to Tunica and minor flood stage is occurring or forecasted from Natchez
to Baton Rouge.
Upper Mississippi

The Corps is sending a dredge to UM623; dredging is expected to be complete 4/6.
Illinois

Lagrange locks is down and passing traffic.

Peoria lock is up and locking.

Buoy boat will be out on the 23rd, starting in the lake first then down the Illinois
river.
Ohio

The Ohio River Continues to fall out but water levels will remain high through the
end of the week.

Masontown Bridge on the Monongahela River mile 79.15 will have intermittent
closure March 24th, 25th, & 30th, April 1st and 4th; complete closure April 8th and
9th.

Georgetown area is improving. Allegany River has reopening to river traffic. CTC
has advised they would like to start service to the Allegany this week but forecasted
rains could delay the start until early next week.
Tennessee/Cumberland River

Wilson Lock man chamber will be out for repairs today, expect 24-48 hours of
delays.
Arkansas River

Transits have returned to normal.
Lower Mississippi

High water advisory in effect for LM 232-237

High water advisory in effect for LM725 to LM869

High water is causing delays in dropping and picking up barges in ports.

Memphis and Vicksburg Bridges are daylight only southbound transits due to high
water.

Gulf Fleets have commenced high water protocols and have place extra tugs within
fleets as a precaution.
West Canal

High water restrictions at Morgan City resulting in southbound tow size restrictions.

Brazos River floodgates expect 24 hours of lock delay this week.

Expect 24 hour delays at Colorado Lock.

Bayou Sorrel lock will have one way traffic to relieve back up from recent fog and
high water. Southbound from 0600 to 1800; Northbound from 1800 to 0600.