Surging water from the Mississippi River led to a 2023 barge strike on a gate at Algiers Lock in New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board has reported.On July 4, 2023, the
Surging water from the Mississippi River led to a 2023 barge strike on a gate at Algiers Lock in New Orleans, the National Transportation Safety Board has reported.
On July 4, 2023, the towing vessel Kitty was pushing two loaded tank barges into the Algiers Lock during low water conditions. The tow surged within the lock chamber and the lead barge struck one of the lock gates. The contact did not result in any injuries or pollution. Damage to the lock gate was estimated at $2 million.
Before the contact, three loaded ships had transited near the lock within about 10 minutes’ time.
The NTSB found the surge was likely due to wake effects from the deep draft ships during extremely low water conditions, which moved water in and out of the forebay and lock chamber, causing the vessels in those areas to surge.
The crew of the Kitty described a 3–6-foot change in water level in the lock chamber while transiting. The NTSB studied the water-level variations in the Algiers Lock based on footage from the Kitty and found the minimum change in lock water level during the casualty to be 3.4 feet.
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