Weekly News Summary For July 14-20, 2010:
The Corps of Engineers announced on June 3 that lock closures would not be among methods used to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan. The announcement was contained in two reports posted on the Web site of the carp response team, asiancarp.org.
After completing studies of various methods to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan, the Corps said that anything short of permanent lock closures would not stop the carp. Closing locks could, however, damage the local economy.
The Corps is still working on a long-term study of whether to permanently close connections between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin. The two were originally separate, until man-made projects beginning in the late 19th century created connections between Chicago-area rivers and Lake Michigan.
The Corps’ decision not to close locks was welcomed with relief by Illinois politicians and business leaders, who have argued against any lock closure scheme to keep carp out of Lake Michigan.
“After rigorous scientific and technical review, it’s clear that shutting down Chicago’s waterways is not an effective solution” to the carp threat, said Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.)….
Barges are being used in a variety of ways to help keep oil spewing from the undersea well drilled by the rig Deepwater Horizon from reaching the Gulf Coast’s shorelines.
On June 9, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal toured a location near Grand Isle, La., to observe operations by barges carrying vacuum pumps that have pumped up oil from affected marshlands. Jindal told the Associated Press that more than 4,500 gallons of oil have been removed by barges at work around Grand Isle, Elmer’s Island and Grand Terre, La.
“Just like we did when we made our own booming plans and moved forward to do the work ourselves on sand booming segments, we took matters into our own hands again and recently asked that the Coast Guard approve a prototype of what we have called a Vacuum Barge to begin to suck up this oil ourselves.”
The Coast Guard has approved the use of three more vacuum barges. One each will go to Plaquemines Parish and Port Fourchon. The National Guard is determining the location of the third barge.
Barges have also been used to block oil-contaminated water from entering below-sea-level Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne, according to the Louisiana news source 2advocate.com. Fishermen heading to both lakes have complained that barges stationed in The Rigolets, a pass that links both lakes to the Mississippi River, lack required lights, although new channel lights have been installed. The Rigolets is just south of bridges connecting Pontchartrain’s south shore in Orleans Parish with the north shore in St. Tammany Parish….
Late-season snow in the mountains, rain over much of the upper basin and wet soil conditions combined to push runoff into the big Missouri River reservoirs to 127 percent of normal in May, the Corps of Engineers reported last week. Reservoir levels increased by between one foot and 2.4 feet during the month.
“Both Garrison and Oahe reservoirs remain in their annual flood-control zones with only Fort Peck still below normal,” said Jody Farhat, chief of the Water Management Office here. “Reservoir storage is currently 60.8 million acre feet (maf.). We’ve not been that high since 1999,” she added.
Total annual runoff for the year is currently forecast to be 28.5 maf., 115 percent of normal.
Gavins Point releases were held near normal levels last month to wet the low-lying sandbars and islands to encourage the least terns and piping plovers to nest on higher elevation habitat. Both birds are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Releases averaged 25,200 cubic per second (cfs.), slightly less than the long term average of 28,400 cfs. Gavins Point releases are forecast to average 27,500 cfs. in June to provide flows for navigation and other downstream uses….
The Terminal, Transport and Marine division of Marathon Petroleum Company christened its new towboat mv. Detroit, May 11. The ceremony was held at Newport (Ky.) on the Levee. The marine group, which is based in Findlay, Ohio, has a marine repair terminal in Catlettsburg, Ky.
Built by C&G Boat Works of Bayou la Batre, Ala., the 4,000 hp. vessel measures 144 by 40 feet. It is named for Marathon's Detroit refinery, which is the only petroleum refinery operating in Michigan. The refinery has a capacity of 106,000 barrels per day.
The Detroit was designed by CT Marine, Edgecomb, Maine, which noted that the vessel is slightly larger than normal when compared to other 4,000 hp. boats, in order to achieve a maximum draft of nine feet at full load. Also adding to the somewhat different look of the vessel is the fact that the pilot’s eye level is comparatively low, due to a 39-foot bridge clearance, said its designer, Corning Townsend.
“The visibility from the pilothouse, however, is excellent due to the pilothouse shape and the large window size and placement. The owner detailed the control console design and the layout of equipment on the console in order to increase the pilots’ visibility, reduce fatigue and increase the inherent safety of the vessel and its tow,” he said.
The boat’s stern lines were newly developed by CT Marine to provide the best possible steering and flanking ability….
Living Lands & Waters (LL&W) is organizing the first-ever multi-state cleanup of the Upper Mississippi River this Saturday, June 19. The organization is seeking volunteers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri to take part in the event, which will take place in 22 cities from St. Paul, Minn., to St. Louis, Mo. LL&W is also needing site coordinators for each location, boats and drivers, and supply donations.
Over the last 12 years, LL&W has removed more than 6 million pounds of trash through cleanup efforts along the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois and Potomac rivers. LL&W has also coordinated flood cleanup efforts after Hurricane Katrina and the historic floods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“We’ve been able to host over 440 community cleanups over the years and this is the biggest effort we’ve ever done,” said Chad Pregracke, LL&W founder and president. “This has been needed for a long time, and we’re so very excited to be coordinating this important effort.”…
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