Marine Link
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

The Dam News

18 Mar 2024

First Tow Through Lock 2 Kicks Off Navigation Season on the Mississippi

The first tow of 2024 goes through Lock and Dam 2 in Hastings, Minn., on March 17. (Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The first towboat of 2024 passed through Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minn. on Sunday, signaling the start of this year's navigation season on the Mississippi River.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' St. Paul District said it considers the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 as the unofficial start of the Mississippi River navigation season, because it means all of its locks are accessible to commercial and recreational vessels.On Sunday, Marquette Transportation Company's Joseph Patrick Eckstein traveled through the lock with 12 barges en route to St.

14 Dec 2023

Upper Miss Navigation Season Draws to a Close

The last tow of the 2023 navigation season: The towboat Thomas Erickson departed Lock and Dam 10, near Guttenberg, Iowa, Dec. 3, with 15 barges. (Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District)

The 2023 navigation season has drawn to a close on the Upper Mississippi River.A 15-barge tow pushed by the towboat Thomas Erickson, the last of the season, departed Lock and Dam 10, near Guttenberg, Iowa, December 3, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District said.The 2023 season commence March 12, when the towboat Phillip M Pfeffer broke its way through the ice of Lake Pepin to travel to St. Paul, Minnesota.With the 2023 navigation season in the rearview, St. Paul District staff will remain busy this coming winter with maintenance projects at Lock and Dam 2…

19 Oct 2023

Mississippi River Lowered Near Minneapolis for Dam Maintenance

(Photo: Patrick Loch / USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, have lowered the Mississippi River water elevations between Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1, both in Minneapolis, from October 13.Corps officials plan to maintain the lower river elevations through October 30, to allow Twin Cities Hydro, LLC, to inspect and repair the rubber dam atop the spillway at Lock and Dam 1, also known as the Ford Dam.To access the rubber dam, the water levels need to be lowered approximately one foot below the spillway crest for approximately two weeks.

16 Oct 2023

Securing Federal Grant Resources for US Ports

(Photo: HDR)

Like many ports, the Alaskan Port of Homer faces aging infrastructure and capital needs well beyond the local funding capacity. The port is a key link in the supply chain for 47 remote, rural, disadvantaged or Alaska Native communities served by Homer, making proposed port infrastructure upgrades critical for shipping statewide as well as for the local community.Enter the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This unprecedented…

12 Oct 2023

Inland Waterways: US Making Progress on Infrastructure

(Photo: Michel Sauret / USACE)

The United States’ vast network of navigable inland rivers is vital to the nation’s economy, serving as an aquatic superhighway for the efficient shipment of critical commodities like agricultural goods, energy products, building materials and industrial chemicals to destinations within the U.S. and to deepwater ports for export. The Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI), which advocates for a modern, efficient and well-maintained inland waterways, often describes the network as “the…

21 Sep 2023

U.S. Revives Cold War Submarine Spy Program to Counter China

Credit: noraismail/AdobeStock

On a windswept island 50 miles north of Seattle sits a U.S. Navy monitoring station. For years, it was kept busy tracking whale movements and measuring rising sea temperatures. Last October, the Navy gave the unit a new name that better reflects its current mission: Theater Undersea Surveillance Command.The renaming of the spy station at the Whidbey Island naval base is a nod to a much larger U.S. military project, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans:…

14 Sep 2023

USACE Awards Contract for Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 Removal

(Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District awards a nearly $30 million contract to remove the Monongahela River Locks and Dam 3 in Elizabeth, Pa.The district awarded the dam removal contract to the Pittsburgh-based Joseph B. Fay Company.The work is part of the Lower Monongahela River project, which includes the construction of the larger lock chamber at Locks and Dam 4 at river mile 41.5 near Charleroi and the replacement of the fixed-crest dam with a gated dam at Locks and Dam 2 in Braddock…

08 Sep 2023

Sierra Leone Hit by Power Cuts after Turkish Power Ship Switches Off Supply over Unpaid Debt

By Sumbebekos - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45413666

Sierra Leone's capital Freetown has been hit by power cuts after Turkey's Karpowership switched off the electricity supply due to an unpaid debt of around $40 million, the energy minister said on Friday.Minister Kanja Sesay told Reuters that the outstanding amount "was accrued over time because the government subsidizes more than half the cost the ship charges per kilowatt hour".He said the government had to spend more on the subsidy because it charges consumers in the weak local Leone currency…

18 Aug 2023

USACE Begins Dredging Near Brownsville, Minn.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, began dredging the Mississippi River navigation channel near Brownsville, Minnesota, in Pool 8 this week to ensure the channel remains open for commercial navigation. Dredging is expected to continue in this area through Labor Day. (Photo: USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, began dredging the Mississippi River navigation channel near Brownsville, Minn., in Pool 8 this week to ensure the channel remains open for commercial navigation.Dredging is expected to continue in this area through Labor Day.The Above Brownsville Placement Site, known locally as Crater Island, will be closed during this time when needed for dredging operations.The St. Paul District maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and 13 locks and dams from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa on the Upper Mississippi River.

21 Jun 2023

Water Levels to Be Lowered for Lock and Dam 1 Repairs

(Photo: USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plan to slightly lower the Mississippi River between Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1, both in Minneapolis, starting June 24.Corps officials plan to maintain the lower river elevations through July 7, to inspect and repair the rubber dam on top of the spillway at Lock and Dam 1. To access the rubber dam, the water levels will be lowered approximately one foot below the spillway crest for approximately two weeks.

08 Jun 2023

Kakhovka Dam Collapse Blocks Gateway for Ukrainian Exports

© Oleksandr / Adobe Stock

The destruction of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine has made it impossible to navigate parts of the Dnipro River and deprived Kyiv of an important agricultural export route, shipping authorities said.The loss of the route is another problem for Ukraine as uncertainty hangs over the future of a U.N.-brokered deal allowing the safe export of grain from three Ukrainian ports.Ukraine is an important global grain and oilseeds producer, but its exports have fallen significantly…

28 Apr 2023

Protecting Offshore Energy Sources via USV

Photo courtesy Mr. Dave Meron

When most people discuss energy sources such as fossil fuel and green energy, it is from an “either-or” perspective. Some favor the former while others advocate for the latter. However, what is often lost in the arguments on both sides is that regardless of the type of energy being extracted or generated, those platforms that are offshore, especially oil rigs, oil and gas pipelines, and wind farms, are incredibly vulnerable to anyone who wants to attack these sources in wartime…

29 Mar 2023

Barges Break Free on the Ohio River in Louisville

(Photo: Kentucky EEC)

The lock chambers at McAlpine Locks and Dam in Louisville, Ky., are closed to traffic after 10 barges broke loose from a tow on the Ohio River.Shortly after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, a vessel towing 11 barges struck a stationary structure at the entrance to the Portland Canal near the lock and dam, causing 10 of the barges to break loose.No injuries were reported, and all personnel are accounted for.Seven of the runaway barges, including one that had been pinned against the L&I railroad bridge pier…

15 Mar 2023

UAE's Fujairah Needs to Step Up Investments for New Bunker Fuels -Execs

© moodboard / Adobe Stock

UAE's Fujairah must step up investments for storage and supply of new alternative fuels as these markets are still lacking traction at the world's third-largest bunkering hub despite the urgency for maritime decarbonization, industry executives said on Wednesday.The maritime industry must seek out alternative fuels to meet carbon emission reduction targets set out by the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization, which include cutting carbon emissions by 40% from 2008 levels by 2030 and overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2050.Despite being a key bunkering port…

14 Mar 2023

TFG Marine Targets 20% Bunker Sales Rise through Expansion

© Kirk / Adobe Stock

TFG Marine, majority owned by commodities trader Trafigura, aims to increase its marine fuel sales volume by up to 20% this year through expansion in Africa, the UK and the Mediterranean, a senior company executive said.The fuel supplier is looking to expand its volumes to 11-12 million tonnes, up from about 10 million tonnes in 2022, its head of bunkering Kenneth Dam told Reuters on the sidelines of the Fujairah Bunkering and Fuel Oil Forum (FUJCON) 2023.It plans to expand operations in several existing and new markets…

16 Dec 2022

WRDA 2022 Heads to Biden's Desk for Signature

© Kent / Adobe Stock

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 on Thursday passed in the Senate by a vote of 83-11. It was included as part of the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill, which passed in the House of Representatives on December 8, now heads to the President for his signature into law.WRDA 2022, which remains on a biennial schedule in Congress, authorizes 33 Chief’s Reports and includes a policy provision that makes permanent the 65% general revenues/35% Inland…

18 Nov 2022

Infrastructure Improvements Set to Boost Efficiency at Lock and Dam 25

(Image: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The list of projects on the United States’ inland waterways infrastructure to-do list is seemingly never-ending as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continuously works to maintain, repair and, when possible, upgrade aging locks and dams throughout America’s vast network of navigable rivers.But there’s been progress toward modernizing the system, especially in recent years amid steadily rising annual appropriations that fund the Corps’ Civil Works mission, and Construction…

17 Nov 2022

Cannelton Locks and Dam Primary Lock Chamber Reopens to Navigation Traffic

(Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The 1,200 foot-primary chamber at Cannelton Locks and Dam on the Ohio River in Cannelton, Ind., officially reopened to navigation traffic, November 13, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said.Due to scheduled maintenance and repairs, the 1200-foot primary chamber had been closed since July. The four-month temporary closure allowed the Regional Rivers Repair Fleet’s (R3F) heavy capacity fleet to replace the miter gates and related equipment on each end of the primary chamber…

11 Nov 2022

US Inland Waterways: Looking for Rainmakers

(Photo: Ingram Barge Company)

As 2022 moves into its final months, low water levels and drought form the basis of the news impacting inland waterways operators and barge companies. In the first week of October, numerous barges were reported grounded in the Mississippi River, particularly south of Baton Rouge. This has consequences: barge rates jumped 218% in St. Louis, compared to 2021.Low water was so severe that on October 7 Ingram Barge CEO John Roberts issued a force majeure notice (force majeure - unforeseeable…

25 Oct 2022

USACE Christened New Derrickboat Kolber

(Photo: Andre' M. Hampton / USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, on Monday held a christening ceremony for the Derrickboat Kolber. This new derrickboat is 160 feet long, has a beam of 60 feet and a depth of 12 feet. The large crane is a SeaTrax series 60 Model S9302. Its design and construction were contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Marine Design Center. The barge was designed by TAI Engineers of New Orleans, and constructed by Metal Trades, Inc., of Hollywood, S.C.The Kolber’s…

24 Oct 2022

Inland Waterways in Focus: Balancing Maintenance and Operational Requirements

Aerial view of locks and dam on Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, USA. Copyright Kent/AdobeStock

The integrity of the marine transportation system as a key plank in a country's economic prosperity is in heightened focus today, with logistics snarls contributing to fast rising inflation. Maintaining the integrity of the vast U.S. inland waterway system - with more than 12,000 miles of inland and intracoastal waterways including 218 lock chambers at 176 sites - is the focus of the Maritime Risk Symposium 2022, a 2.5-day conference scheduled for November 15-17, hostd by Argonne National Laboraty's TCS Conference Center.On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, James P.

26 Sep 2022

J.F. Brennan Tallies $23.5 Million Lock and Dam Contract

A tow enters the lock chamber from downstream at Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Joliet, Illinois. (Photo: USACE  Rock Island District)

La Crosse, Wis. based marine construction firm J.F. Brennan Co. Inc. has secured a contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for work at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam in Rockdale, Ill.The company was the sole bidder for the $23,484,700 firm-fixed-price contract, which will see it install a miter gate installation and replace machinery at the site. Work is estimated to be completed by January 19, 2024.The Brandon Road Lock and Dam is a lock and dam complex along the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Illinois.

15 Sep 2022

Inland Waterways Report: Columbia-Snake River System

(Photo: Tidewater Transportation and Terminals)

It’s amazing to consider that a commercial vessel in the Pacific Ocean, approaching the mouth of the Columbia River, can continue its eastward journey to finally tie up at the Port of Lewiston, in Lewiston, Idaho, America’s most inland West Coast port, 465 miles from the Pacific Ocean.The Columbia and Snake Rivers form that critical east-west waterway, an economic powerhouse regionally, nationally and internationally. According to the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA)…

Subscribe for
Maritime Reporter E-News

Maritime Reporter E-News is the maritime industry's largest circulation and most authoritative ENews Service, delivered to your Email five times per week