Costello Lock Closed Due to Silt Build Up
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 Mighty Teeny Mississippi
Just as the nation averted the fiscal cliff, it looks as if the inland waterways industries narrowly escaped its own fiscal waterfall. At press time, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicates that, despite record low water levels, the Mississippi River will be able to sustain navigation through the spring for towboats and barges. This is welcome news for shippers, operators and the U.S. economy that relies upon a robust export market facilitated by the waterways transportation system.
AWO, WCI: 9' Drafts Must be Maintained in Mississippi
Waterways Operators Commend Administration, Senator Durbin, Corps of Engineers; Stress Need for Continued Assurance of 9-Foot Navigation Channel on Mississippi River. The American Waterways Operators (AWO) and Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) reacted today to recent statements from Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers which indicate that the Mississippi River will be able to sustain navigation through the end of January for towboats and barges at a 9-foot draft, as rock pinnacle removal work at Thebes, Illinois, has gone better than expected.
Latest Water Forecast for Mississippi River
In an effort to keep apprised of the ever-changing hydrograph forecasts, yesterday the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released water storage again (first release was on December 15) from Carlyle Lake located on the Kaskaskia River near St. Louis to support the continuation of navigation on the Mississippi River. The latest projections indicate that this water release, along with the current weather forecast, will cause the river gauge at Thebes to reach “3” and falling (dropping below 10 feet) around January 7…
Low Water Mississippi: USACE Outlines Action Plans
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.
