Shelley Byrne, Author at The Waterways Journal

New Paducah Port Director Seeks Growth Opportunities

June 26, 2020

As the new executive director of the Paducah-McCracken County Port Authority in Paducah, Ky., Tim Cahill brings with him international experience, working around the globe for companies involved in… Read More

Olmsted Locks Through First 2020 Tows

—Photo courtesy of Louisville Engineer District Two upbound tows lock through at Olmsted Locks and Dam in September 2019. In June, the Corps raised the wickets for the first time in 2020, the fourth time since Olmsted opened in August 2018. By Shelley Byrne River traffic has locked through the twin 1,200-foot-by-110-foot chambers at Olmsted Locks and Dam for the first time this year and only the fourth time in the project’s history. “The weather conditions over the past couple of years have been unique, but raising it in June is much more normal,” said Ryan Lawrence, assistant operations manager for the Louisville Engineer District’s locks and dams project office. Olmsted personnel began raising the wicket dam June 18. It had also been raised in August 2018, August 2019 and November 2019, for a total of about 100 days, Lawrence said. The longest period was in August 2019, when the wicket dam held pool for 62 days at 301.5 feet above sea level, maintaining the pool 46 river miles, back to the Smithland Locks and Dam. A more typical elevation at Olmsted is 295 to 300 feet, based on a hinged pool that takes advantage of the natural slope of the river. Crews began lowering the wickets June 23 in response to rainfall in the upper Ohio Valley, but Lawrence said they may need to go back up again in another two weeks or so, given current forecasting that calls for less rain and a falling Mississippi River. The Corps said it expects to raise and lower the wickets an average of four times each season. “But so far we haven’t really had an average year,” Lawrence said. “You do what needs to be done to maintain the river elevations.” Given the weather so far this year, the Corps believes this season may be much closer to a typical one than the last two have been. However, Lawrence cautioned, “As we saw last year, there’s no real way to know. We look at historical trends and what we expect with weather patterns.” Although the Corps had plenty of experience with wickets at the former Locks and Dams 52 and 53, Olmsted modernized the process when it opened in August 2018 on the Ohio River near Olmsted, Ill. In addition, instead of a hook blindly grabbing for a bar on the wickets beneath the water, GPS and a sonar camera aid the process. “They really took the things they learned from 52 and 53 and implemented and improved those things here,” Lawrence said. The Corps has less experience using tainter gates combined with a wicket dam to control flow. Olmsted has five tainter gates, while the former projects didn’t have any, although other Ohio River locks and dams in the district have them. The gates can be opened and closed to maintain the pool without raising and lowering the wickets as frequently. “We’re definitely still learning that,” Lawrence said, adding that Olmsted has a unique combination of factors since high water on the Mississippi River can back up the Ohio to as far as Olmsted and since levels on Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River, Lake Barkley on the Cumberland River and on the Ohio at Smithland

Olmsted Locks Through First 2020 Tows

June 26, 2020

River traffic has locked through the twin 1,200-foot-by-110-foot chambers at Olmsted Locks and Dam for the first time this year and only the fourth time in the project’s history. Read More

AIWA Seeks Continued Funding To Decrease Dredging Backlog

June 24, 2020

Catching up on a backlog of dredging takes time, but the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association (AIWA) says progress is being made. In 2016, the backlog for dredging along… Read More

Paducah To Begin Dredging Near New Transient Boat Dock

June 23, 2020

The City of Paducah (Ky.) expects to begin dredging later this summer near its transient boat dock after receiving a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant. “Due to the… Read More

PND Offers Open Cell Sheet Pile System

At left, a former pulp mill purchased by a pile-driving contractor in Tacoma, Wash., is in its original condition but with the Open Cell Sheet Pile System installed around it. The brownfield site was leaching contaminants and included treated piles and a submerged, treated timber bulkhead. At right, the same site after PND Engineers used the OCSP system to encapsulate the debris and control the leaching materials. The OCSP bulkhead included a new berth developed for the contractor’s floating equipment. (Photo courtesy of PND Engineers Inc.)

PND Offers Open Cell Sheet Pile System

June 22, 2020

With its ability to contain and encapsulate contaminated materials, prevent shoreside erosion and economically build bulkheads with wall heights no other method can achieve, PND Engineers Inc. hopes to… Read More

LST-325 Sails To New Home At Evansville Riverfront LST-325 rounds the Evansville bend of the Ohio River June 13 en route from Inland Marina, where it has been moored since 2005, to a new $3.6 million home along the Evansville, Ind., riverfront. The site was previously home to a casino boat from 1995 to 2017. (Photo by Shelley Byrne)

LST-325 rounds the Evansville bend of the Ohio River June 13 en route from Inland Marina, where it has been moored since 2005, to a new $3.6 million home along the Evansville, Ind., riverfront. The site was previously home to a casino boat from 1995 to 2017. (Photo by Shelley Byrne)

LST-325 Sails To New Home At Evansville Riverfront

June 19, 2020

Capt. Bob Jornlin, 81, didn’t let a little thing like a six-hour drive keep him from seeing the World War II amphibious ship he once captained dock for the… Read More

Congressman Addresses Waterways Funding Efforts

June 15, 2020

A recent virtual meeting of the Paducah Propeller Club included remarks from the congressman representing far western Kentucky concerning federal legislation closely involving the river industry. About 20… Read More

Towing Vessel National Center Of Expertise Celebrates 10 Years The Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise team stands in front of the office in Paducah, Ky. From left are Jim Van Wormer, Mike Kelly, Lt. Cmdr. Chuck Mellor, Cmdr. Andrew Bender, Dave Phillips, Chief Warrant Officer Mark Belt and Steve Douglass. (Courtesy of the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise)

The Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise team stands in front of the office in Paducah, Ky. From left are Jim Van Wormer, Mike Kelly, Lt. Cmdr. Chuck Mellor, Cmdr. Andrew Bender, Dave Phillips, Chief Warrant Officer Mark Belt and Steve Douglass. (Courtesy of the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise)

Towing Vessel National Center Of Expertise Celebrates 10 Years

June 12, 2020

The Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise (TVNCOE) celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month, recognizing the accomplishments of the team that has helped lead the towing industry… Read More

New Statistical Port Planned For Ohio River

June 5, 2020

Communities in West Virginia and Ohio hope to gain approval for a new statistical port district along the Ohio River. The Mid-Ohio River Valley Port District would comprise… Read More

Mariners Pilot Beneath Simulated New Ohio River Bridge Ingram Barge Company Capt. Joseph Eubanks, piloting a Seamen’s Church Institute towboat simulator, is downbound toward the piers of a new U.S. 51 bridge over the Ohio River, connecting Cairo, Ill., and Wickliffe, Ky. (Photo by Shelley Byrne)

Ingram Barge Company Capt. Joseph Eubanks, piloting a Seamen’s Church Institute towboat simulator, is downbound toward the piers of a new U.S. 51 bridge over the Ohio River, connecting Cairo, Ill., and Wickliffe, Ky. (Photo by Shelley Byrne)

Mariners Pilot Beneath Simulated New Ohio River Bridge

June 5, 2020

Experienced river captains from several companies recently spent a week virtually piloting towboats through more than 100 different computer scenarios, testing alignments and pier placements for a new… Read More

Author: Shelley Byrne