St Louis District News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is kicking off a five-year, $25 million "mega-study" with the goal to help guide effective and practical management of the Lower Mississippi River.The Corps said the the study will help it to identify recommendations for the comprehensive management of the region across multiple purposes, including hurricane and storm damage reduction, flood risk management, structure and nonstructural flood control, floodplain management strategies, navigation…

Extreme weather events—including both high and low water levels—can wreak havoc on inland waterways transport. In late 2022, severe drought conditions brought the latter to the Mississippi River Basin, underlining the importance of America’s dredging fleet.When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Memphis District's dredge Hurley returned to its home port, Ensley Engineer Yard, in Memphis Harbor, on January 13, 2023, it wrapped its longest, most productive season on record.

The Jerry F. Costello Lock on the Kaskaskia River, near Modoc, Ill., has been closed due to silt and debris build up on the lock sill and chamber, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said.Contracted divers were utilized to remove underwater obstructions, but the issue with the gate persists, USACE's St. Louis District said in a statement on Tuesday. Crews from the St. Louis District’s Motor Vessel Pathfinder are on site to excavate silt that is preventing the downstream miter gates from closing from properly closing.“Our goal at the Jerry F.

The US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) announced four upcoming Industry Days. (Check SAM.gov for details).The St. Louis District Industry Day is Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 9:00AM to 5:00PM at the Engineering Center of St. Louis. Topics will cover ACE projects and opportunities within other agencies. ACE leadership will participate, and ACE will host one-on-one afternoon briefings covering specific topics. Advance registration is required. Use this link:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022…

Fugro has been awarded a photogrammetric and LIDAR surveying and mapping contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, Missouri. The agreement is a five-year indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with a ceiling value of $12.5 million. It marks Fugro’s third consecutive mapping contract with the Corps, making this a partnership that has spanned more than 30 years. “Our long-standing collaboration with the USACE has produced a multitude of products utilising numerous evolving technologies and methods over the years,” said David White, senior vice president of Fugro Geospatial. “We look forward to continuing our valued partnership and providing geospatial solutions to the St.

A construction crew working off a barge inside the auxiliary lock at Melvin Price Locks and Dam 26 extinguished a fire Thursday morning inside the engine of a crane on their vessel. Battalion Chief Rob Franke, of the Alton Fire Department, said when firefighters arrived, the crew from Massman Construction Co. of Kansas City, Mo., had put out the fire using a hand extinguisher. The city firefighters, though, were at the scene for about a half hour after responding to the 8:45 a.m. call. Franke said it took time for the firefighters to put down ladders on which to reach the barge from land, then retrieve the ladders and put them back on a firetruck. There were no injuries. Mike Petersen, chief of public affairs at the St. Louis District of the U.S.

The Big River Coalition inform that the following transits restrictions have been established to allow traffic to pass during rock removal work operations at locations C-100 and C-101 (Thebes, IL). The restrictions may be changed based upon conditions, including weather and experience with vessels passing while the rock removal operations are being conducted. The original request for these locations called for full channel closures and these new transit restrictions resulted from passing a test tow through this reach of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR).

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division Commander discusses Corps' plans with state & local representatives. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division Commander Maj. Gen. John Peabody and St. Louis District Commander Col. Chris Hall met with state and local representatives yesterday in Alton, Ill., to discuss current and future actions the Corps will take to maintain a safe and reliable navigation channel during low water. The meeting, which was led by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), was also attended by Capt. Byron Black, U.S. Coast Guard commander of the Upper Mississippi River Sector, Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon (D-Ill.) and river industry representatives.

MTNW Completes USACE St. Louis District Dust Pan Dredge Mooring Monitoring Project for US Army Corp of Engineers. Measurement Technology NW’s Mooring Line Monitoring System Retrofits US Army Corp Dredge Potter. Measurement Technology NW (MTNW) announces successful implementation of its running line tensiometer technology with the US Army Corp of Engineers Dredge Potter. MTNW collaborated with C&J Offshore and Ockerman Consulting to ensure the mooring line monitoring project was successful from the initial design to the final installation and commissioning.

Gulf Island Fabrication, Inc., Houma, La., was awarded on May 6 a $9,410,156 firm-fixed-price contract to obtain marine services to modify the dredge Potter.  The modification includes replacing the existing upper deckhouse and pilothouse areas.  This project requires engineering and design, fabrication, testing, and delivery services to provide the required modifications.  The dredge Potter is in support of dredging efforts for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District.  Work is to be performed in Houma, La., with an estimated completion date of July 23, 2011.  Thirteen bids were solicited with three bids received.  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (W912BU-10-C-0019).

By Ed Voigt, U.S. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oldest dredge is now also one of its youngest. The dustpan dredge Potter, the Corps last and longest-serving steam-powered dredge, helped keep the Mississippi River open to navigation for almost 70 years. Now she is back home at the St. Louis District Service Base after a $20 million repowering project by the district and the Corps' Marine Design Center (MDC). Halter Marine, Inc., of Gulfport, Miss, was the contractor. She departed Halter's New Orleans shipyard Sept. 29 with the same overall profile (minus smokestacks) and capabilities, but with an all-new stern and a diesel-electric power plant. Named for Brig. Gen.

The Marine Design Center (MDC) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) plans to obtain an inland river style towboat for the purpose of serving the USACE St. Louis District (CELMS) in its next mission. With measurements of 51 x 19 ft., and a design draft of 5.3 ft. the towboat will have an approximate total of 880 hp. The vessel will be used to provide towing and tender service to other district plants and will be suitable for year-round operation in both shallow, and ice and drift-strewn rivers of the Mississippi Navigation System. Designed, built and classed to ABS rules for Steel Vessels on Rivers and Intracoastal Waterways, the vessel will be a twin-screw open propeller diesel with an all-welded steel hull and superstructure.

Already low water on the Mississippi River around St. Louis was expected by this weekend to approach levels too shallow for barge transportation, and a damaged lock slowed river traffic near Davenport, Iowa, river officials said Thursday. The St. Louis gauge for the Mississippi was at 3.0 feet on Wednesday and was forecast to hit 0.0 feet by Saturday. River traffic can continue operation through St. Louis until the gauge hits -3.5 feet and the river channel is 9 feet deep, the shallowest depth at which barge traffic can pass. "Any time it gets below five feet on the St. Louis gauge, everybody starts to monitor that. And when it gets below zero the river industry will start forming a low action water group and you'll see restrictions on tows and other things…

Barge tows traveling on the upper Mississippi River faced lengthy delays on Wednesday near Hannibal, Mo., after traffic was stopped for two days to dredge several spots in the river, river officials said. The river was closed in several areas between Hannibal and Quincy, Ill., on Monday when several barges reported shallow water conditions. The Corps of Engineers used a mechanical crane to dredge the shallow areas and carve a new channel in the river to allow barges to safely travel. "There were about three locations down there that had run out of water, but things have gotten cleaned up since this morning. Traffic is moving again," said Bill Gretten of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island district.

The Marine Design Center (MDC) of the USACE intends to accomplish repowering, upgrade, and repairs to dredge Potter, a USACE dustpan dredge. The vessel length overall is 240.5 ft., beam overall is 46.1 ft. and molded depth amidships is 9 ft.. Vessel displacement (light) is 1,393 tons. Dredge Potter is a steam powered dustpan dredge constructed in 1932, and operated by the St. Louis District, USACE. The vessel is of all steel, riveted and welded construction. The vessel shall be converted from steam power to diesel electric along with the upgrade/replacement of necessary support systems. Drydocking is necessary to complete required underwater stern modifications. Testing is required and will include dredging trials.

Several locks and dams on the upper Mississippi River will be closed to all navigation from January to early March for maintenance and repairs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said. Maintenance is normally done in the winter when parts of the river are frozen and vessels are unable to navigate through the ice. The Corps has issued several notices of the impending shutdowns, allowing the barge industry to coordinate shipments ahead of the lock closures. The following locks are or will be closed. Upper Mississippi River, St. Lock and Dam 5A, Fountain City, Wis. Dec. Lock and Dam 21, Quincy, Ill., Jan. 1-Feb. Lock and Dam 22, Hannibal, Mo., Jan. 1-Feb. Upper Mississippi River, St. Louis District, three locks north of St. Louis. Locks 27, Granite City, Ill.

Several locks and dams on the upper Mississippi River will be closed to all navigation from January to early March for maintenance and repairs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. Bill Gretten, chief of the lock and dam section of the Corps' Mississippi River Project, said maintenance is normally done in the winter when parts of the river are frozen and vessels are unable to navigate through the ice. Although the weather has been moderate so far this year, water temperatures have been around 33 degrees Fahrenheit, one degree above freezing. "If we get a couple of nights of cold weather, the river will be covered with ice," Gretten said. The Corps has issued several notices of the impending shutdowns, allowing the barge industry to coordinate shipments ahead of the lock closures.