Ice Thickens On The Illinois River

With a forecast for an arctic freeze coming within the next few days, the Illinois River Carriers’ Association (IRCA) is preparing for the possibility of ice freezing faster and thicker. IRCA chairman Terry Bass said lower than typical river conditions also meant a higher risk of potential problems with more of the water tied up in ice, although no major issues have been reported so far.

A January 16 lock and dam status report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers highlighted moderate impacts across the region and ice 3 inches thick in the Peoria and LaGrange pools. Helper boats were being used to pull northbound and southbound tows on a case-by-case basis in those pools. However, with helper boats also pulling fleet duty in Meredosia and Beardstown, the Corps warned industry that it might need to provide “self help.”

Starved Rock and Marseilles pools were also seeing moderate impacts, with ice 1 to 2 inches thick in those pools. At Starved Rock, helper boats were required for pulling cuts both northbound and southbound, and at Marseilles it was on a case-by-case basis. An ice shelf was also forming on the left descending lock wall at Marseilles, which had 100 percent ice coverage.

Ice coverage was estimated at 90 percent in the Dresden, Starved Rock and LaGrange pools as well and 80 percent in the Peoria pool.

The Brandon Road pool was the only pool listed as performing at a “normal” level of operations with no ice cover. It’s also the only pool where ice couplings were not required.

Bass pointed out several areas of particular concern.

• North of LaGrange Lock and the approach to the lock, Mile 80 to Mile 84.
• Southbound approach to the Peoria Lock, Mile 158, and the start of Peoria Lake from Mile 163 to Mile 180 as well as Blue Creek Point at Mile 172.
• Chillicothe, Mile 180 to Mile 183, which Bass anticipated will be a major chokepoint.
• Hennepin at Mile 208.
• Starved Rock Pool and lock, Miles 231-244.
• Marseilles Lock and Canal, Miles 245-247.
• Dresden Island Lock, both northbound and southbound approaches, Miles 271-272, and at the mouth of the Kankakee, Mile 273.
• Above and below Thomas O’Brien Lock, Mile 326.