Weekly News Summary For July 18–24, 2005:
The U.S. House of Representatives, by a lopsided 406–14 vote July 14, approved the Water Resources Development Act of 2005, H.R. 2864. The act authorizes 700 transportation, flood control, hydropower, water supply, beach renourishment, environmental restoration and recreation projects and studies, the National Waterways Conference (NWC) reported.
Should all of the projects be funded in future appropriations bills, $10 billion in water resources infrastructure would be built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NWC said.
The bill fixes the "potholes" in the river system, said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.)
Also accepted was an amendment sponsored by Reps. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), Pete Hoekstra (R.-Mich.) and Bill Delahunt (D-Ma.) that would allow 293 so-called "lower-use" harbors—which handle over 2/3 of the cargo traveling on American waterways—to be dredged through a change in the performance-based budgeting guidelines….
Trinity Industries Inc., Dallas, Texas, announced July 12 that it will reopen its shipyard in Port Allen, La., for the purpose of building 100 hopper barges for Marquette Transportation Company Inc., Paducah, Ky. The barges will be built by the Trinity Marine Products subsidiary.
"I am pleased to have received a new order and to have resolved the dispute between our companies," sad Timothy R. Wallace, Trinity Industries chairman, president and chief executive officer, in a press release. "The order for 100 units continues to demonstrate the need for additional equipment on the inland riverways. With this order and others, we are pleased to begin the process of reopening our idled facility in Port Allen, La."…
Ingram Barge Company recently placed the second of two sister ships back in service following a major repowering and refurbishing project recently concluded at Paducah, Ky.
Although the Omar has been in service a few months under its original name, its sister ship Omega was christened and renamed the Erna E. Honeycutt in a brief ceremony at Paducah on June 27. Both boats are 150 by 45 feet and were built by St. Louis Ship for Midland Enterprises in 1981 and 1982, respectively, and were originally powered with B&W Alpha diesel engines, driving controllable-pitch props that were unique in the inland towing industry.
The original 12-cylinder, four-cycle engines were capable of burning heavy, blended or intermediate fuel, but did not live up to expectations and the boats racked up considerably fewer operating hours than other 5,600 hp. boats in the former Midland/Orgulf fleet.
The boats were brought under the Ingram flag when Midland’s boat and barge fleet was acquired in 2002 and had been idled quite a while before being brought in for repowering and refurbishing at Ingram’s Paducah service facility….
The lengthy dry spell in the Missouri River basin took a break in June, the Corps of Engineers reported. As a result, the 2005 navigation season on the Missouri River will be a little longer than expected.
"Rain, late-season mountain snow and drought-conservation measures continue to take some of the sting out of the six-year drought in the Missouri River Basin," the Northwestern Engineer Division stated in its monthly report of reservoir conditions.
Runoff into the large upper basin reservoirs was 5.7 million acre feet (maf.), 106 percent of normal and the largest since 1999. Reservoir levels rose over the month, reversing a lengthy trend.
The forecast of total 2005 runoff has improved to 19.9 maf., 79 percent of normal. This is an increase from the June forecast of 16.6 maf. Normal runoff is 25.2 maf.
Brig. Gen. William Grisoli, Northwestern Division engineer, cautioned that the basin is still abnormally dry.
"While runoff has improved, the drought is not yet over," he said. "The three large reservoirs remain many feet below normal levels. Total storage on July 1 was 38.4 maf., which means the 2005 navigation season will be shortened 48 days rather than the 61 days anticipated earlier in the year. Minimum-service flows will be continued throughout the season and then further reduced in October and November."…
Boh Brothers has constructed a variety of marine projects over the years, but one of their current projects, the Harvey Canal floodgate, is certainly one of the most unique in that the sector-gate system under construction is designated strictly for flood protection. Under the best-case scenario, the Corps hopes to never have to see the fruit of the Boh Brothers Construction’s labor, as the only time the gate will be raised is with an impending hurricane.
The $36 million floodgate will protect the West Bank area of New Orleans from hurricane storm surges. The closed system will provide hurricane protection for the 250,000 people in metro New Orleans who live west of the Mississippi River.
The seven-mile long Harvey Canal links the Mississippi River with the westbound Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The floodgate is just one aspect of the West Bank and Vicinity, New Orleans Hurricane Protection Project. Completion of the floodgate is targeted for 2007 while the completion of the overall project is slated for 2018 based on current projected funding levels. Total cost is estimated at $314 million.
During storms, the floodgate will close the Harvey Canal gap between the levee and floodwall systems. Most of the time, the gate will remain open to provide a 125-foot horizontal clearance for vessel traffic. When a hurricane approaches, two 175-ton gates will pivot out of their bays to meet and form the barrier to storm surges coming north from the wetlands, lakes and canals toward metro New Orleans. It is estimated the length of time needed to close the gates will take about 10 minutes….
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