MONROE, LA (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working to repair a lock on the upper Ouachita River that it has closed due to newly discovered problems. The closure is interrupting the flow of commerce and threatens to cause a large fuel terminal to go dry.
The News-Star reports reports that the Columbia lock on the Ouachita River has been closed since Nov. 7 when Army Corps officials discovered the problems with the lock.
Since then, crews have been working to repair the lock and reopen the upper river to commercial navigation. But it is still unclear how long the repair will take, according to officials.
The corps discovered the lock floor had been compromised by a sand boil, a rare occurrence, according to David Jenkins, deputy chief of operations.
"It's not a life and safety issue, but it is urgent," Jenkins said.
One major concern is an interruption to the Monroe Terminal in southern Ouachita Parish. The terminal supplies fuel to many retail distributors in central and northeastern Louisiana.
Ouachita River Valley Association executive director Bill Hobgood said that if the terminal doesn't have the fuel it needs that would likely cause a spike in regional gas and diesel prices.
Columbia's lock is surrounded by thick concrete walls and gates, but the lock bottom is covered with 8 feet by 8 feet concrete squares rather than a poured concrete floor. Below the squares are two, 6-inch layers of gravel, a 6-inch layer of sand and a 7-foot layer of backfill.
Greg Raimondo, a spokesman for the corps, said the sand boil has caused a 20-foot section of the concrete squares to sink 6 feet.
"Water is percolating through the sand boil and into the base of the lock," he said.
