Vancouver, Wash.-based Tidewater Transportation and Terminals, the largest barge transportation and termina network on the Columbia-Snake River system, reports that it has finalized a contract with Portland, Oregon-based Gunderson Marine & Iron, for the construction of four new liquid refined product barges. It says that the strategic investment reinforces the company’s commitment to providing safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible marine transportation solutions for the Pacific...
inland
Ingram towboat marks unofficial start to 2025 navigation season
The St. Paul Engineer District announced March 20 that the first tow of the 2025 navigation season arrived in St. Paul, Minn.
The M/V Neil N. Diehl, an Ingram Barge towboat, locked through Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minn., March 19, with nine barges. Reaching St. Paul marks the unofficial start to the navigation season because it’s the last port on the Upper Mississippi River to open every year. The delay is a result of ice in Lake Pepin, near Red Wing, Minn., that prevent tows from heading...
Soo Locks to open early for 2025 shipping season
The Detroit Engineer District will open the Poe Lock, part of the Soo Locks, in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., early to all marine traffic at 8 a.m. on March 21, marking the start of the 2025 Great Lakes shipping season.
The shipping industry requested an early season opening based on the understanding that “the 2025 winter lock maintenance will be completed by this date and an early opening will not impact U.S. Army Corps operations this season,” said Lake Carriers’ Association President James...
https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/inland/soo-locks-to-open-early-for-2025-shipping-season/
Brennan Marine acquires Matteson Marine Service assets
La Crosse, Wis.-based J.F. Brennan associate Brennan Marine, Inc. (BMI),has expanded its presence on the Upper Mississippi River with the acquisition of Matteson Marine Service Inc. assets. This strategic acquisition strengthens BMI’s capabilities along a key stretch of the waterway.
Matteson Marine has been a trusted name in inland marine services since 1975, growing from dredging and marine construction into harbor services. Its fleet, which operates from Lock 17 in New Boston, Illinois, to...
Laborde Products repowers trio of towboats
Covington, La.-based Laborde Products has recently repowered three vessels that provide services along U.S. inland waterways.
The most recent repower was for Lydia Ann Channel Fleet (LACF), a provider of fleeting and fuel services along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway based in Rockport, Texas.
The triple-screw vessel, previously powered by 6125 John Deere engines, is now running on Scania DI13 080M marine engines, each delivering 400 horsepower at 1,800 rpm. The repower, says Laborde, improves...
https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/inland/laborde-products-repowers-trio-of-towboats/
NTSB reports on $7M collapse of degraded dock after barge contact
The National Transportation Safety Board has released its report into an April 25, 2023 incident in which about 150 feet of a degraded dock at the Chalmette Refinery crude oil dock near mile 89 on the Lower Mississippi River collapsed after a barge contact .
There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. There was extensive damage to the dock’s pipelines, bridges, and pilings. The estimated cost of repairs to the dock was about $7 million.
The incident occurred when the 76-foot-long...
Q&A: OpenTug’s use of AI in marine logistics
Sponsored Content: Jason Aristides, CEO of OpenTug, the marine logistics platform set up to connect freight with barges and terminals nationwide, recently sat down with Marine Log to discuss the company’s AI technology.
Aristides will be speaking at Marine Log’s Tugs, Towboats & Barges (TTB) 2025 conference in Mobile, Ala., on March 25-26.
Marine Log (ML): OpenTug has made significant strides in leveraging AI for marine logistics. Could you walk us through some of the ways AI is being utilized...
https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/inland/qa-opentugs-use-of-ai-in-marine-logistics/
Rising water at Carrollton Gage prompts inspections
The Mississippi River at the Carrollton Gage in New Orleans, La., has risen above 11 feet, prompting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, to activate Phase I flood fight procedures.
Closely coordinating efforts with the local levee authorities, the New Orleans District will begin patrolling the levees along the Mississippi River twice weekly until the water level drops below 11 feet at the Carrollton Gage.
Phase I is a proactive measure that is triggered when the Mississippi...
https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/inland/rising-water-at-carrollton-gage-prompts-inspections/
PNWA pushes back against DOGE cuts to critical USACE employees
The Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA) has written the Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington State congressional delegations expressing its “strong opposition to federal employee cuts being implemented by the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE). Specifically, the intention to fire thousands of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) critical employees, who are vital to the safety, efficiency, and economic vitality of the entire region. These USACE employees are experts who...
Ports of Indiana hires maritime leader Parrott as COO
Ports of Indiana has hired maritime logistics executive David Parrott to serve as the statewide port authority’s chief operating officer. Parrott has worked in the marine industry for 30 years as a former CEO of Liberty Terminals, vice president of operations for Metro Ports, and international logistics manager for Schneider Logistics and Wallenius Wilhelmsen.
“Dave brings decades of maritime operations and logistics leadership to our team and will play a key role in Ports of Indiana’s future...
https://www.marinelog.com/uncategorized/ports-of-indiana-hires-maritime-leader-parrott-as-coo/