Dredging efforts on the Arkansas River Navigation Channel are underway after historic flooding this spring, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Little Rock District reports.
“Navigation buoys up and down the river were displaced during the flood. The Coast Guard is planning to replace the buoys in the near future,” USACE said in their latest project update.
While the navigation channel is now navigable in a limited capacity, specific sailing lines have been sent out to navigation customers where shoaling is still present within the channel.
“Dredging of the system from Oklahoma into Arkansas will continue for the next two to three months,” said Navigation Project Manager, Rodney Beard. “Shoaling caused by the spring and summer floods continues to be a serious issue.”
Chief of Operations, Rex Ostrander, added that “the district has made a lot of progress since the end of the flood, but there is still a lot ahead in evaluating the significance of the damage.”
The district has requested and received approval for temporary pool deviations at some locations to allow navigation system recovery to accommodate barge traffic in areas where shoaling exists and remains to be dredged.