VICKSBURG, Miss. – On November 16, 2022, the Dredge Dubuque departed the Vicksburg Harbor for a critical dredging mission along the Red River in response to low water conditions.
Drought conditions throughout the Mississippi River Valley have caused a low water event on the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries. More specifically, troublesome areas were reported near Lindy C. Boggs Lock and Dam 1. Located on the Red River at mile 43.8 about 11 miles north of Marksville, Louisiana, it is the first lock and dam on the Red River and part of the J. Bennett Johnston (JBJ) Waterway system.
The Dubuque was deployed to maintain the 9-ft navigation channel by dredging areas of increased sediment that recently emerged due to shoaling. Dubuque operator Charlie Hansford said, “The towing industry is almost completely halted, so we’re here cutting high spots so the loaded barges can continue to pass through.”
Main impacts to navigation industry consists of restrictions to load sizes and vessel drafts, delays due to temporary channel closures during dredging operations or groundings, and loss of access at some ports. The Vicksburg District is committed to ensuring reliable navigation through its revetment, dredging and channel improvement missions.
The Dubuque, also known as the “Ugly Betty” by its crew, is a cutterhead type of dredge. It is equipped with a rotating cutting tool that loosens and extracts sediment from the navigation channel which is then sucked into a 12” diameter pipe and discharged to a deeper area of the channel deemed appropriate by a survey crew. Its crew consists of an operator, a diesel engineer, deckhands, and a crane operator and is accompanied by two large boat tenders, the Evie Kate and the Clinton.
The deployment of the Dredge Dubuque follows the recent opening of Boggs. The lock was previously closed to navigation while both the upstream and downstream gates were dewatered for routine maintenance and inspections. All critical repairs were completed, and the lock reopened to commercial traffic Nov. 12.
The USACE Vicksburg District is engineering solutions to the nation’s toughest challenges. The Vicksburg District encompasses a 68,000-square-mile area across portions of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana, that holds nine major river basins and incorporates approximately 460 miles of mainline Mississippi River levees. The Vicksburg District is engaged in hundreds of projects and employs approximately 1,100 personnel.