[Louisianadelegation] LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER (LMR) DREDGING UPDATE 5625

Tue May 6 13:34:13 CDT 2025

Members,

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 25) channel maintenance dredging on the Mississippi River Ship Channel with the industry hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS (Manson Construction) on March 2, 2025. The latest crest on the Mississippi River at the Carrollton Gage was recorded at 16.67 feet on May 1, 2025 at 1800 hours. The stage level remained at 1.245 million cubic feet per second (cfs) just below the trigger point flow of 1.25 million cfs for the operation of the Bonnet Carré Spillway.

INDUSTRY HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

NEWPORT: The NEWPORT (Manson Construction) is working on assignment at the Venice Jump from Mile 10.6 Above Head of Passes (AHP) to Mile 9.2 (AHP). The NEWPORT is working on the second FY 25 Early Award hopper contract (Gulf Coast Regional Hopper Contract Early Award #2-2024).

GLENN EDWARDS: The hopper dredge GLENN EDWARDS is dredging on assignment at the Head of Passes from Mile 0.5 AHP to Mile 1.25 Below Head of Passes (BHP). The GLENN EDWARDS is working under Southwest Pass Hopper Early Award #1-2024, the first of the two Early Award hopper dredge contracts for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY 25). The GLENN was working on the area of severe flocculation that led to the high tide transit restriction for all inbound vessels with draft of 38 feet or greater from the Bar Pilots that went into effect at 1000 hours on April 19, 2025, the Notice is attached. The Bar Pilots have reported more stringent flocculation based high tide restrictions could be implemented soon, as an inbound vessel had to anchor in SWP earlier today. Updates will be provided upon receipt.

DODGE ISLAND: The USACE also awarded a hopper dredge contract to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock. The DODGE ISLAND is expected to begin dredging in SWP tomorrow.

GOVERNMENT HOPPER DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

WHEELER: The USACE hopper dredge WHEELER dredged in SWP from April 12 to April 27 (2025) under Readiness Exercise #3. The WHEELER is expected to resume work under Readiness Exercise #4-2025 tonight in the New Orleans Harbor at Nashville Avenue, before a possible return to SWP. The WHEELER is scheduled for dry dock repairs in early June (2025).

CUTTERHEAD DREDGE(S) WORKING IN SOUTHWEST PASS (SWP):

R.S. WEEKS: The R.S. WEEKS (Weeks Marine) began dredging in SWP on May 3, 2025 and is concentrating on the most shoaled in area from Mile 12 BHP to Mile 13.5 BHP. The cutterhead will work the present reach and then focus on the full assignment starting at Mile 9.0 BHP and extending to Mile 15 BHP on the western side of the Channel. All material removed will be beneficially used to create marsh along the bank line in SWP.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER STAGES AND FORECAST UPDATES:

The Carrollton Gage (New Orleans) reading at 1200 hours today was 15.98 feet, with a 24-hour change of - 0.25 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Predictions (28-Day Forecast) for the Carrollton Gage issued today forecasts that stages will continue a slow fall to 11.5 feet on June 3 (2025).

The Baton Rouge Gage reading at 1200 hours today was 40.98 feet, with a 24-hour change of - 0.55 feet. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service Extended Streamflow Predictions (28-Day Forecast) for the Baton Rouge Gage issued today forecasts that stages will continue a slow fall to 27.9 feet on June 3 (2025).

 The NWS 28-Day long-range forecasts only include precipitation expected to fall in the next 48-hours.

The 168-hour (7 Days) Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) precipitation map below is reproduced from the National Weather Service.

“Forecasters at the WPC and its predecessor organizations have been making Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts since 1960. Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts, or QPFs, depict the amount of liquid precipitation expected to fall in a defined period of time. In the case of snow or ice, QPF represents the amount of liquid that will be measured when the precipitation is melted. Precipitation amounts can vary significantly over short distances, especially when thunderstorms occur, and for this reason QPFs issued by the WPC are defined as the expected "areal average" (on a 20 x 20 km grid) in inches.”

168-HOUR QPF FORECAST:

[cid:image001.gif at 01DBBE8B.8BC27470]

*The 168-hour QPF predicts heavy precipitation across a large portion of the Lower Mississippi River Basin.

“The graph below is reproduced from NOAA’s National Weather Service website and represents an experimental product to account for the complexity of accurately predicting long-range precipitation.  These forecast projects stage levels based on expected precipitation for 2 days (top) and 16 days (bottom) and was developed within the North American Ensemble Forecast System (NAEFS) computer model and highlights Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts (QPF).  Along with the forecasts, a shaded area is also provided to indicate uncertainty for the forecast each day in the future. These plots are experimental and not an official forecast product.”

NEW ORLEANS QPF:

[NORL1_67_28d_forecast_error_plot.png]

The graph below represents the Year-to-Date (2025) plotted river stages for the Carrollton Gage from January 1 to May 6 (2025):

[Chart titled, Mississippi River at New Orleans (Carrollton) (01300) From 01/01/2025 To 05/06/2025]

The following plot shows the river stages on the Carrollton Gage from January 1, 2020 to May 6, 2025:

[Chart titled, Mississippi River at New Orleans (Carrollton) (01300) From 01/01/2020 To 05/06/2025]

Note the Carrollton Gage had not been over 15 feet since 2021 or higher than 16 feet since 2020 the last time the Bonnet Carré Spillway was operated until this last high water event.

Please see the attachments to support the Dredge Update.

With You,
Sean
Sean M. Duffy, Sr.
Executive Director

Standing By Channel: (504) 338-3165

Big River Coalition
http://bigrivercoalition.org<http://bigrivercoalition.org/>

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