Mississippi River pilots seek 44-foot draft

   The Crescent River Port Pilots Association has decided to increase its maximum draft recommendation from 42 feet to 44 feet on the Lower Mississippi River.
   Capt. A.J. Gibbs said he made the recommendation Thursday after “reviewing the most current survey in the Pilottown Cubit’s Gap area, and due to the successful transit of the two 44 feet test vessels.”
   Sean M. Duffy Sr., executive director of the Big River Coalition, said the recommendation follows work being done by the Army Corps of Engineers hooper dredge Wheeler at the Cubits Gap (Mile 3) location that had been reduced to 42 feet last week after a ship went aground with an outbound draft of 44 feet.
   Normally the channel is maintained to a depth so that ships can load to 45 feet, but draft has been limited to 44 feet because of silting.
   Earlier this week the World Trade Center of New Orleans said the Louisiana congressional delegation was successful in helping procure an additional $55 million to maintain the Lower Mississippi River to its authorized depth and width.
   It said $55 million was obtained from the 2012 Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, under which the Corps of Engineers received $1.72 billion, About $534 million was designated to fund the maintenance and operation of the nation’s inland waterway system. It said the $55 million brought the total amount of funding for maintaining the Lower Mississippi River to $126 million, up from the initially proposed $72.6 million. — Chris Dupin