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Harbor Maintenance and Dredging: A Legislative Update. CAPT Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret.), P.E. President Greater Houston Port Bureau. Houston Ship Channel Maintenance Funding. Immediate Impact.
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Harbor Maintenance and Dredging: A Legislative Update CAPT Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret.), P.E. President Greater Houston Port Bureau
Immediate Impact • August 2012—Shoaling at the inner bar of the entrance channel reduced draft for Houston, Galveston, Texas City to 43.5’ • Army Corps emergency dredging cleared the shoaling by mid-October • 18 terminal berths operate at depths of -44.5’ or deeper • Overall impact? Probably 10x the cost to do the emergency dredging
Terminal Impact • Channel Width restrictions have a direct impact on two-way traffic availability • Earlier this year, one section of the channel had a nearly 7’ shoal – restricting use of a newly-dredged 45’ berth operated by a private facility.
The Realize America’s Maritime Promise (RAMP) Act – HR 104 • What does the RAMP Act do? • Requires that Congress appropriate the full receipts of the Harbor Maintenance Tax to the Army Corps for annual harbor maintenance • Current Status • 197 Sponsor/Co-Sponsors • S 412 – Corresponding Senate Bill has 37 Sponsor/Co-Sponsors
Challenge: Aging Lock Inventory* Age in 2010 (Years) 0-9 3 10-19 11 20-29 14 30-39 24 40-49 52 50-59 28 57% > 50 60-69 20 70-79 56 34 80+ 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Number of Operational Lock Chambers *Includes all operational deep and shallow draft Corps and TVA navigation locks.
Concrete deterioration at Chickamauga Aging Infrastructure Crumbling lock wall, Lower Mon 3, opened in 1907 Leaking miter gates, Upper Miss Lock 19
Project Completion Dates (Status Quo, Major Rehab) • Olmsted L/D Construction (2020) • Lower Mon 2,3 & 4 Replacement, phase 1 (2027) • Kentucky Lock Addition (2041) • Chickamauga Replacement Lock (2051) • L/D 25 Upper MS 1200’ Lock Addition (2064) • High Island to Brazos River, TX (2053) • Lagrange 1200’ Lock Addition (2070) • Inner Harbor Lock Replacement (2077) • L/D 22 Upper MS 1200’ Lock Addition (2083) • L/D 24 Upper MS 1200’ Lock Addition (2090)
Project Completion Dates (Status Quo, Major Rehab) • L/D 25 Upper MS Dam (2053) • Lagrange (2064) • Lower Monumental (2065) • ILL WW Thomas O’Brien L/D (2065) • Greenup Dam Rehab PED & Constr. (2079) • JT Myers Dam (2081) • Meldahl Dam (2079) • Montgomery (2084) • Mel Price Upper MS (2086) • No. 2 Lock AR Lock Wall/Bank Slope Rehab (2085) • Willow Island Dam Rehab PED & Constr. (2089) • Marmet Dam (2090)
Waterways are Vital: Economy, Energy, Efficiency, and Environment (WAVE-4), HR 4342 • What Does WAVE-4 Do? • Prioritizes navigation projects across the entire system • Improves the Army Corps’ project management and processes to ensure on-time and on-budget project deliverables • Recommends a funding mechanism is affordable and meets the needs of the entire system • Current Status • 26 Sponsor/Co-Sponsors • Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
CAPT Bill Diehl, USCG (Ret.), P.E. President Greater Houston Port Bureau Questions?