This research investigates factors influencing locking time as well as the source of variation in the locking time on the Upper Mississippi River, and includes tow characteristics and environmental conditions over 1992-2004. The newer 1,200 ft. locks reduce both locking time and time variation, improving efficiency on the system as a whole. Importantly, the analysis suggests lock capacity has declined over the 1992 to 2004 period for all locks. After correcting for tow and environmental characteristics, very little of the remaining variation is explained by a unique vessel identification number assigned by the Army Corps of Engineers, indicating that lockage fees based purely on relative locking times would not provide the intended result.
This report documents an investigation of the hydraulic effects of dikes on water levels in the Mississippi River between Natchez, MS, and Baton Rouge, LA, conducted for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, Vicksburg, MS. The investigation was conducted using a previously calibrated Natchez-to-Baton Rouge Adaptive Hydraulics numerical model. The objectives were to alter roughness and height variables associated with the dikes and overbanks encompassed in the numerical model and evaluate their effects on water surface elevations. This academic exercise provides an indication of the relative level of impact associated with modifications to the dikes and overbanks for this portion of the Mississippi River and does not represent future plans or recommendations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Steady flow simulations were simulated for 12 May 2011 to investigate the variation in model results during the peak of the 2011 flood on the Mississippi River.
This article discusses measures being taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect New Orleans from future flood events. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is redesigning and upgrading the 350-mile network of linked levees, floodwalls, gates, and pumps in the New Orleans area. The Corps of Engineers’ plan for New Orleans flood control involves upgrading some existing structures such as levees and floodwalls and adding some new risk-reduction features, two of which are movable gates. The proposed Bayou Bienvenue Gate will sit near the junction of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet to keep floodwater away from the southern end of the Industrial Canal. The Seabrook Gate will span the northern end of the Industrial Canal where it meets Lake Pontchartrain. By preventing storm surges from entering the Industrial Canal, these gates will protect a densely populated residential and commercial area. However, the presence of the new gates will change day-to-day current patterns in ways that could impact existing structures and use.
ABSTRACT
During the severe winter of 1977, five loaded tank barges grounded on a rock in the upper Mississippi River, 42 miles above the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The hull of one of those barges was ruptured and approximately 1,000 barrels of its cargo of heavy, black No. 6 fuel oil was subsequently discharged into the river. Because of inadequate action by the owner, the incident became a federal removal activity involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, several commercial companies, and several units of the Coast Guard, including the Gulf Strike Team. The closure of the Mississippi River due to heavy ice and ice gorging restricted the availability of necessary equipment, and the extremely low temperatures, often well below zero, sometimes made available equipment inoperative. This paper offers no panacea for dealing with damaged oil barges under these adverse conditions, but does provide a description of the incident so that others in similar situations may assess their problems quickly and plan improved courses of action.
Hydraulic dike effects investigation on the Mississippi River : Natchez to Baton Rouge