TENN-TOM WATERWAY, BLACK WARRIOR/TOMBIGBEE RIVER LOCK CLOSURE, NAVIGATION OBSTRUCTIONS

MOBILE, Ala. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District announces that due to continued heavy rainfall in the northern regions of Alabama and Mississippi, river levels have reached major flood stages, impacting navigation traffic on inland waterway systems. The high water levels have caused the closure of several locks, as well as creating shoal areas obstructing as water levels drop.

Lock Closures — as of March 1, the following locks remain closed to navigation due to high river levels:

Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway:

• Howell Heflin, mile 266.1

Black Warrior/Tombigbee Waterway Rivers:

• Demopolis, mile 213.2
• Coffeeville, mile 116.6

Navigation Obstructions — as river levels recede on the upper Tenn-Tom Waterway, the following obstructions to navigation have been identified by commercial traffic and hydrographic surveys:

• Tenn-Tom Waterway, mile 410 – approximately 30,000 cubic yards of material block the channel from toe-to-toe with a depth of 6 feet and less, immediately south of Rock Creek.
• Tenn-Tom Waterway, mile 357 – approximately 400,000 cubic yards of material block the channel and lower approach to Aberdeen Lock.  This shoal extends approximately 1.5 miles downstream of the lock. The shoal covers the entire channel with a depth of 6 feet and less.

River levels remain too elevated on the lower Tenn-Tom Waterway and Black Warrior/Tombigbee Waterway Rivers to allow the hydrographic surveying necessary to identify other areas of shoaling impacting navigation. The Mobile District Tenn-Tom Waterway Project currently operates two survey vessels in those areas where water levels have fallen sufficiently to allow accurate surveying.

Mobile District is aggressively moving forward to align dredges to begin the process of removing the shoals obstructing navigation, and will re-open locks when water levels fall sufficiently to allow safe operation of the lock.

For more information, contact the Mobile District Operations Division at (251) 690-2576, or visit the Mobile District Navigation portal at https://go.usa.gov/xEduc.

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