The Corps’ Mississippi Valley New Orleans (MVN) has advised that in response to projected high river stages on the Carrollton Gauge (New Orleans) that it is working to secure additional dredges. The National Weather Service’s River Watch for the Mississippi River Basin (5-Day Forecast) released yesterday (Saturday, December 27, 2015) predicts a crest of 17 feet on the Carrollton Gauge on January 20, 2016. The majority of the river gauges on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers indicate readings over their specific Flood Stages. For instance the gauge at St. Louis (MO) is projected to crest at 44.9 feet on December 31, 2015 with a current reading of 36.11 feet and a Flood Stage of 30 feet. The El Nino driven precipitation across the Mississippi River Basin is expected to keep the Carrollton Gauge over 12 feet for most of January 2016.
As a general rule of thumb dredges are usually required to maintain the channel in Southwest Pass when the Carrollton Gauge reaches 10 feet and rising.
Please review the attachment for complete details.
