Wednesday, June 8th, 2016
American Currents
NOTEWORTHY NEWS & INDUSTRY ISSUES
For specific details on information noted below, please contact your ACBL Salesperson or Logistics Representative at (800) 899-7195.
Colorado River Locks (West Canal mi 441.5) CLOSED – Locks closed to all traffic due river current exceeding 5 mph. River velocity
currently at 6.09 mph. 31 vessels are waiting eastbound, and 35 vessels are waiting westbound. Estimates for opening the Locks range
anywhere from over the weekend to Tuesday, depending on river levels and flow. Even after re-opening, delay will occur due to large
queue that has formed.
Brazos River Floodgates (West Canal mi 400.8) are On Restriction – Tows are restricted to 1 loaded barge or 1 empty barge through
the locks at a time, daylight running hours only. River velocity at 6.4 mph; if this reaches 7.0 mph, all traffic will be closed. 1 vessel is
waiting eastbound, and 9 vessels are waiting westbound.
High Water on the Mid Miss Causing Reduced Tow Sizes – Southbound tows from St. Louis to Cairo remain reduced by 5 barges due to
high water flows in the Cape Girardeau area. This may resolve by later this week.
Upper Mississippi River Closed During Daytime Hours at mile 321.5 – As crews work to finish power line repairs, the river is closed
to river traffic in this area from 6/6 through 6/10, 0700-1900 hours each day.
Lock 52 (Ohio mi 939) Expects to Raise the Dam and Starting Locking on Friday or Saturday
Olmstead Lock (Ohio mi 934) Running the Pass until 6/13 0959 – Tows are transiting the pass. On Monday 6/13 1000 hours, traffic
will need to pass through the riverside lock chamber, max tow of 15. Assist boat will be available 24/7.
LaGrange Lock, mile 80 & Peoria Lock, mile 158 - Illinois River
Peoria Lock dam is up and boats are locking through. LaGrange Lock dam was raised at 0800 hours today.
Current Flooding Conditions
Minor: Lower Missouri River in MO and several tributaries in AR/LA/TX/IA/NE.
Lock
Marseilles
IR245
Lock 20
UM343
Lock 27
UM185
R C Byrd
OR279
Lock 52
OR939
Lock 53
OR962
Bayou Sorrel PA36
Port Allen
LM228
Industrial
LM92
Algiers
LM88
Vessel
Queue
0
Lock Delay
River Area
1
0
0
0
0
7
5
Industry standard is to
estimate 1 hour per
boat for delays while
waiting in lock queue
15
0
US Inland Waterways Weather Report
Rain up north…dry down south…and hot everywhere highlights the
inland waterways weather today.
• A cold front will enter the Upper Mississippi Valley tonight and move
very slowly southward through Monday. Moderate to locally heavy rain is
expected over the region north of Keokuk.
• High pressure is centered over the Southeastern U.S. and it is expected
to keep the watershed south of Keokuk relatively dry and hot through the
weekend.
• Another front will move through the watershed Tuesday/Wednesday
with light to moderate rain expected during its passage.
(Source: Bill Frederick, USACE)
St. Paul
Dubuque (11)
Morris
Beardstown
St. Louis
Chester
Cape Girar.
Cincinnati
McAlpine Upr
McAlpine Lwr
Evansville
Paducah
Cairo
Memphis
Muskogee
Little Rock
Greenville
Vicksburg
Natchez
Baton Rouge
New Orleans
Today's River Stages
24 hr
Forecast
Change 24 hr 48 hr 72 hr
4.6
4.3
4.0
4.8/nc
8.9
9.3
9.4
8.8/+0.2
5.6
5.5
5.4
5.4/-0.8
10.0/-0.2 10.5 10.5 10.4
19.7 19.0 18.3
19.8/nc
22.3/-0.4 22.1 21.9 21.2
27.2/-0.7 26.8 26.7 26.1
27.7 27.0 26.9
28.1/nc
12.8/+0.2 12.6 12.6 12.6
17.5/-0.5 16.8 14.9 13.5
17.2/+0.1 16.6 15.9 15.2
15.1 14.7 14.4
15.5/nc
27.5/nc
27.1 26.6 26.2
13.8/-0.8 13.2 13.0 12.7
19.8/-0.9
n/a
n/a
n/a
8.3/+0.2
7.6
7.6
7.9
35.5/-0.4 35.0 34.4 33.8
32.7/-0.2 32.5 32.0 31.4
41.8/-0.1 41.6 41.4 40.9
29.2/nc
29.2 29.1 28.9
10.9/nc
10.9 11.0 11.0
Flood
Stage
14
16
13
14
30
27
32
52
23
55
42
39
40
34
28
23
48
43
48
35
17
LOCK CLOSURES AND INFORMATION
Lock Name
Phone
Mile
Point
Closure Dates
Notes
MONONGAHELA
Braddock
412-271-1272
11.3
3/27/17-4/28/17
Tentative main chamber closure
Charleroi (L&D 4)
724-684-8442
41.5
5/14/17-6/20/17
Tentative complete closure during the week, open during the wknds.
Meldahl
513-876-2921
436
OHIO
7/5-8/10
Main chamber closure, Tentative for 2017
6/26/17-9/15/17
6/7-10
Full closure for 72 hrs – No aux or main lockings during this time.
0700-2300 M-F only Main chamber closed, Aux avail for 1 barge
8/22-11/10
lockings with industry self-help
2300-0700 M-F only Aux chamber closed, Main avail with 80’ restrictn
10/3-12/9
Aux chamber closed for repairs
Main chamber closure, Aux available. Based upon river levels on the
4/15-9/11
dam, an assist boat may be required to enter the aux chamber.
No significant delay. ETC moved up 2.5 weeks.
5/1/17-9/29/17
Tentative Main chamber closed for repairs
Markland
859-567-7661
532
3/6/17-4/26/17
Lock 52
618-564-3151
939
Chickamauga
423-875-6230
471
7/11-8/11
Watts Bar
423-334-3522
529.9
6/3-23
Intermittent delays during daylight hours for gate machinery repairs
Fort Loudoun
865-986-2762
602.3
6/3-11
Intermittent delays during daylight hours for gate machinery repairs
Emsworth
412-766-6213
6
Montgomery
724-643-8400
32
RC Byrd
304-576-2272
279
Greenup
606-473-7441
341
Tentative Aux chamber closed for repairs
Tentative Aux chamber closed intermittently for repairs, may move up
7/17/17-9/29/17
30 days, depending on river stage
TENNESSEE RIVER
Complete closure for dewatering of chamber, no aux lock
WARRIOR-TOMBIGBEE
Selden
205-372-9868
261
7/6-8/5
Closure for repairs, no access to Tuscalsa/Birminghm during closure
ARKANSAS
Webbers Falls (Lk 16)
918-489-5987
367
Lock 16
309-537-3191
457
Industrial (IHNC)
504-945-2157
1
8/24-9/11
Downstream closures
UPPER MISSISSIPPI
6/14, 16, 21, 23
Closed 0700-1900 each date for installation of new gates.
EAST CANAL
August 2016
120 day closure, dependent on river levels < 6’ in New Orleans.
Current Loading Drafts
Upper/Lower Mississippi
St. Paul to McGregor
McGregor to Linwood
Linwood to St. Louis
St. Louis South
Cairo N/B to St. Louis
Cairo S/B to Gulf
9’0” Max
9’0” Max
9’6” Max
1’6” Freeboard
1’6” Freeboard
12’6” Max
Ohio
Pittsburgh to Point Pleasant, WV (mi 263)
Point Pleasant, WV (mi 263) to Cairo
10’0” Max
10’6” Max
Illinois
Lemont to Starved Rock
LIQUID above Starved Rock
Starved Rock South
Gulf
Gulf N/B to St. Louis
Gulf N/B to Ohio River
Gulf N/B to Illinois River
UPDATE 5/23: What We Know About the Impending Industrial Lock Closure
9’3” Max
9’0” Max
9’6” Max
11’6” Max
10’0” Max
9’6” Max
The USACE continues to plan for closing the Industrial Lock and starting gate replacement and machinery work when the Mississippi River gauge at the Lock falls below
six (6) feet. Historically this occurs on or about Aug 1st and based on current river stage projections, the USACE is confident the Miss. River will drop sufficiently for an
early Aug start time. USACE managers anticipate the repairs will take 120 days. The USACE has secured funding to dredge the Alternate Route through Bayou Baptiste
Collette. The dredge E. Stroud is currently planned to start dredging on/about June 7th at the Baptiste Collette bar, and dredging is expected to complete in late July. The
USCG has determined that towing vessels and barges currently operating on the GIWW (canals) are permitted by regulation to operate on the Alternate Route. NOAA is
considering an update to the surveys of the Chandeleur Sound portion of the Alternate Route initially done in 2015. The USCG will supervise an industry test run of the
route in June or July. There has been a considerable planning effort to both prepare for the IHNC Lock Closure and provide for an alternate route to and from the GIWW
East, including preparations for hurricanes. For specific information about ABCL and the Alternate Route, please contact your Salesperson directly.