Port board sees trouble at the pass

The Port of Morgan City channel is holding up despite high water. But the port’s board heard Monday that work, and funding, may be needed soon.
The port’s channel has an authorized depth of 20 feet and a width of 400 feet. The southern part of the channel lost some depth during Hurricane Francine, but Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade said after the meeting that the channel there is in good shape after unprecedented levels of dredging in the last few years.
“With all that’s been going on,” Wade said at the meeting, “we’ve still got a good channel.”
And Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager Tim Connell confirmed that funding is in place for more dredging on the channel if needed. Officials put the available funding at $45 million.
One dredging project, awarded to Weeks Marine Inc. for work on Berwick Bay, 20 Grand Point and Wax Wake Outlet, was completed in January and paid about $24 million.
The problem area when the current high water recedes may be Stoute’s Pass on the Atchafalaya just north of Berwick.
Silting there, a frequent trouble spot for tows headed for or from Baton Rouge, could complicate the transit for large tows.
And, while much of the channel is maintained using funding through the Corps of Engineers, Stoute’s Pass is maintained with money earmarked for Mississippi River tributaries. And there is no funding for Stoute’s Pass.
Also at Monday’s meeting, Coast Guard Lt. Jenelle Piché reported that vessel transits through the local waters was down slightly in April from the same month in 2024.
Piché said 2,213 vessels transited the area last month, down 2.9% from last years.
The numbers included 1,483 towing vessels.
The Atchafalaya at Morgan City was at 6.42 feet Tuesday morning, above the 6-foot minor flood stage. The river is predicted to stay above 6 feet until at least May 27.