Low Water Conditions Continue to Worsen on the Lower Mississippi

Water ranges on the Decrease Mississippi have been low sufficient to trigger critical difficulties for towboat navigation for weeks, and the scenario has worsened sufficient that it is usually impacting service provider transport upriver of New Orleans. 

Vessels transiting to Baton Rouge now should adjust to a draft restriction of 41 ft on account of low water, down from 45 ft. This measure covers a thirty-mile stretch between mile markers 168-203, limiting the draft for vessel entry to areasd upriver of the affected part. This consists of petchem terminals at Morrisonville, Plaquemine, and the large Exxon Baton Rouge Refinery, a sprawling 540,000 bpd facility which ranks fifth within the nation for output.

Barge visitors interruptions appeared to worsen Saturday, in accordance with Bloomberg. Regardless of latest makes an attempt to refloat stranded tows and dredge out tough-to-navigate sections, the Decrease Mississippi was closed to barge visitors in 4 locations and a couple of,700 barges had been backed up in queues, the Coast Guard stated.

The outlook for the approaching months doesn’t look favorable for barge operations, in accordance with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Local weather Prediction Heart. The middle’s winter long-range forecast predicts continued drought circumstances within the Mississippi’s large drainage space, which covers about 40 p.c of the USA. A La Nina local weather sample is driving dry circumstances all through the western and central areas of the U.S., and reduction might not come till the tip of the winter.  

Constructing a sill

The Coast Guard can also be implementing non permanent measures for visitors at 64 miles above Head off Passes, the place the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers is constructing an emergency saltwater barrier sill on the river backside. With the river degree and circulation charge lowered, a wedge of heavier saltwater from the Gulf is penetrating upstream, threatening to infect consuming water provides. The sill will forestall the additional intrusion of saltwater above mile marker 64. 

Within the neighborhood of the development work, service provider ships are restricted to their slowest protected velocity, and vessels might cross a method at a time solely. Site visitors should examine in with the pilot aboard the dredging vessel earlier than passing.