St Louis Harbor News

The Coast Guard has issued a number of river closures, restrictions and advisories in response to floods in the midwest. To keep the public and professional mariners apprised of changes to river traffic, the 8th District will continue to issue press releases capturing all closures and restrictions throughout this period of high water and flooding. * The Coast Guard Captain of the Port has re-opened the Mississippi River surrounding the St. Louis Harbor from mile marker 179 to mile marker 185. Vessels operating in this area must be in compliance with horsepower and barge restrictions in accordance with the Western Rivers Waterways Action Plan. * Illinois River is open to traffic. The Coast Guard recommends that mariners transit the river in daylight hours only.

The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to the report of a missing person and capsized vessel in the Upper Mississippi River, Monday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River received the report Sunday at approximately 7:30 p.m of a capsized towing vessel at mile marker 173 on the Upper Mississippi River. Reports state three people were aboard the towboat and that two were rescued by the St. Louis Fire Department. The 61-foot towing vessel, Charlie Boy has approximately 9,350 gallons of fuel and other oils on board. Sector Upper Mississippi River issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and has closed the waterway from mile marker 165 to 178. There are no vessels in the queue at this time.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Basin Water Management Division is maintaining above normal releases at the four lower dams on the Missouri River. The excess water will allow the Corps to extend the navigation season and provide higher winter releases. Navigation service to the mouth of the Missouri River will now be extended until December 10. Conditions in the basin affected by tributary inflow could extend the season for days after that. Increases in shipping along the Missouri River are being seen north toward Sioux City for the first time in 11 years. The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce suggested that increased shipping on the Missouri River and all the way to the gulf, complements the air, rail and road infrastructure Sioux City prides itself on.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port of St. Louis has restricted traffic on the Mississippi River in response to high water, Monday. The upper Mississippi River is closed to all traffic from mile marker 179 to mile marker 184 near the St. Louis Harbor. Fleet vessels are permitted to operate in the zone to ensure the safety and integrity of their fleets. The Coast Guard encourages mariners to ensure that moored vessels and barges are adequately secured with the anticipation of increased current and high water. Debris may be an increased hazard to navigation and may drag buoys off station. The USCG advises that mariners exercise caution when dislodging debris from fleeting areas and communicate the same to downstream fleets.

Industry and the federal government continue to work together to improve less than optimal conditions on the U.S. inland waterways. Measurable, although slow progress is being achieved. The summer of 2012 brought drought and poor navigating conditions to the inland waterways. Low water levels continued into the fall and threaten to move into winter, but the event has demonstrated how barge industry and government relations have changed over the years and what challenges remain.

Flooding on the Mississippi River has closed the St. Louis harbor to barge traffic, Reuters reported. The Coast Guard closed the from mile marker 174 to 189. Vessels with two or fewer barges can travel during daylight hours. There was no estimate on when the harbor would reopen. In addition, the is closed from mile marker 0 to 24. The upper has been closed to barge traffic since locks began shutting down on June 12, which has disrupted shipments of grain, coal and petroleum products. Source:  Reuters

In fleeting operations, a towboat operator will frequently perform a maneuver known as "downstreaming," which involves positioning the boat above the fleet, then moving downstream with the current to land on a barge and remove it from the fleet. Typically, downstreaming is a common procedure and normally performed without incident. However, in the past, the maneuver has resulted in a number of vessel sinkings and crew fatalities. A Quality Action Team (QAT) consisting of USCG representatives, as well as representatives from the Southern Region Quality Steering Committee of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), was formed to study the problem and make recommendations for reducing incidents stemming from downstreaming.

Low water on the upper Mississippi River will continue to prompt dredging activities to promote safe navigation of barges and other vessels in coming months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. The Corps, which operates locks and dams and oversees river conditions on U.S. interior waterways, said in a statement that it met with commercial shippers and U.S. Coast Guard officials on Thursday to discuss problems being caused by low water. Water levels are relatively low on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers in part due to lack of snow cover last winter, which was the warmest recorded in 105 years. "The Corps is currently surveying potential low water trouble spots in need of dredging…