US Army Corps of Engineers Delays Lock Closure Following Meeting with La. Farm Bureau, Ag Stakeholders

By Avery J. Davidson

Louisiana Farm Bureau News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it will delay the closure of the Old River Lock by two weeks to allow for movement of agricultural goods at the height of harvest. This decision by Colonel Stephen F. Murphy, 64th Commander and District Engineer for the New Orleans District came following a June 1 meeting with representatives of Louisiana Farm Bureau and other agricultural stakeholders.

The Corps will close and drain the Old River Lock in Lettsworth, La. For 75 days beginning August 30, 2022 for necessary repairs. The original plan, before learning about the adverse impacts to farmers, grain elevators and those who transport grain at harvest, was for the Corps to close the lock for 90 days beginning August 15. 

Col. Murphy said he ordered his team to find efficiencies to compress the time in which the Old River Lock is closed to lessen the impact to agriculture. Col. Murphy said the timing of the closure is to coincide with the closure of the Vicksburg District’s Lock #1 and so the work can be done when river levels are low. This will be the first time the Old River Lock will be dewatered in 46 years. 

There are two grain elevators that will be directly impacted by the closure. Those two elevators will not be able to ship grain down the Mississippi River after August 30.

“We’ll take every day we can to keep grain flowing down the Mississippi,” said Louisiana Farm Bureau President Jim Harper. “The timing is still bad and it will still force some farmers to truck grain farther south at the peak of harvest; a situation made worse by high fuel prices.”

The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation continues to work with the state’s congressional delegation and the Corps to make the best of this situation. 6th District Congressman Garret Graves and 5th District Congresswoman Julia Letlow were instrumental in facilitating the June 1 meeting. 

“We appreciate Colonel Murphy and the Corps for meeting with us and hearing the concerns of agriculture,” said Harper. “We plan to work with him and other Corps leaders to ensure communication and consideration of agricultural impacts are given earlier consideration in the process of updating critical infrastructure.”

The Corps estimates this 15 day compression of the work would allow 4.2 million bushels of grain to flow to market before the closure.