By Mary Kennedy
DTN
On Sept. 4, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) reported that Coast Guard captain-of-the-port, New Orleans, Capt. Will Watson has opened the Lower Mississippi River to all vessel traffic in New Orleans and key ports throughout Southeast Louisiana Friday following Hurricane Ida.
After the successful removal of several power lines obstructing the waterway due to a downed transmission tower near mile marker 106.5 and a survey of the ship channel in key areas of concern, the waterway has been deemed open for all marine traffic, noted the news release.
"Working alongside key federal, state, parish, city and maritime industry leaders, we've made significant progress reconstituting ports and waterways throughout Southeast Louisiana," said Watson. "The marine transportation system in this region connects our heartland's harvest with global markets and provides vital energy supply to our nation. We continue to support the State of Louisiana as we collectively recover from the impacts of Hurricane Ida."