The Lake Charles River Pilots have announced that the draft of the Calcasieu Ship Channel will be reduced by one to two feet because of the lack of dredging funds by the federal government.

Typically a ship’s hull can be submerged 40 feet into the water to carry its cargo. The new restrictions come as a result of not enough dredging in the channel. The operating draft will be decreased from 40 feet to 39 feet for ships of 106 feet wide or less and 38 feet for wider ships.

Channing Hayden, director of navigation at the Port of Lake Charles, said the new rule will prevent ships from carrying as much cargo as usual and will increase the operating cost of the facilities along the channel.

“Historically, the channel has been underfunded in terms of maintenance dredging,” Hayden said. “Rather than have a ship show up at the sea buoy and be told that it can’t get in, which is very expensive, the pilots have announced this draft reduction effective December 1.”

The announcement gives ship channel users about 45 days to adjust their operations.

In the most recent budget request, President Barack Obama provided less than $11 million to maintain the channel, a 28 percent cut in funding from the previous year and well below the $30 million to $40 million needed to maintain Congressionally authorized dimensions.

In a letter to Obama, U.S. Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., stressed that underfunding to the nation’s waterways is hindering the competitive advantage and economic growth in Louisiana and across the United States.

Landrieu, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is pressing the president to designate more money into the channel.

“Two LNG facilities valued at $20 billion will soon be exporting LNG and additional projects will bring a total of $70 billion in planned investments along the channel in the coming years,” Landrieu said in the letter. “When these projects are fully operational, the Federal Treasury will receive an estimated $1.2 billion annually from the Port of Lake Charles and its tenants, a $450 million increase over the $750 million it currently contributes to the Federal Treasury every year, yet the Port does not have the federal partner it needs.”

Hayden said he and a group of channel users will be visiting Washington, D.C., next week to meet with various governmental entities, including the Corps of Engineers, Departments of Commerce, Department of Energy and the Maritime Administration.

“We are going to ask for their help in trying to convince the administration that these channels need to be funded properly,” Hayden said. “All we’re asking is for the federal government to invest $30 million to $40 million a year to maintain the channel, so that they can get a return of over a $1 billion a year in the future. If someone offered me that kind of deal, I would take it.”(American Press Archives)

Frank DiCesare / American Press