Series of dams could bring shipping to new portion of Red River in SW Arkansas

TEXARKANA, Ark. ( KTAL/KMSS )—The J. Bennett Johnson Waterway is a system of five locks and dams that allows shipping on 236 miles of the Red River.

Currently, it begins near Alexandria and ends in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, but a plan to change that is being explored.

“So, they’re looking at extending navigation up the Red River into Arkansas from where it, currently the head of navigation in Louisiana, further up the Red River towards in Arkansas.” says Barrett Moore. He is a project manager with the Vicksburg District of the Army Corps of Engineers, who are taking the lead with this project.

They say the extension would involve building two to three additional locks and dams on the Red River north of Shreveport to make it navigable all the way up to Index, Arkansas, near the state line with Texas.

“The locks and dams are going to pull up the river and lifts for increases in river elevation dictated, dictated by the river bottom elevation.” says Carl Sepulveda, Plan Formulation Lead with Freese and Nichols.

Officials say this project would reduce the number of trucks on roads like Interstate 49 in favor of barges on the river, which are more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

“So if you think about the classic problem of, moving your household goods from an old house to new house and you have a sedan and a pickup truck or a 20 ft moving truck at your disposal.” says Sepulveda, “Which one do you think is going to be more cost effective with time and fuel?”

There are many steps to go before the project enters the design and construction phases. Right now, they are studying the environmental impact and the economic feasibility.

“That means the project benefits versus the cost, with an example of how to measure that being the reduction of costs to transport goods and then the cost to construct the project features.” says Sepulveda.

This multi-step process typically takes about three years to complete. The Army Corps of Engineers is partnering with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Division, on this stage.

Meanwhile, they are seeking comments and questions from the public. You can submit those by email at CEMVK-PPMD-Civil-Works@usace.army.mil or by mail to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg District, Attn: CEMVK-PMP, 4155 Clay St., Vicksburg. More information can be found on the USACE project website.

Comments and questions can be submitted up until 30 days after the Notice of Intent is published, which has not yet happened.

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