Welcome to
J. Bennett Johnston Waterway

The Project has formerly been referred to as the Mississippi River to Shreveport, Louisiana, reach of the Red River Waterway. The opening of the waterway to the Shreveport/Bossier City area in December 1994 was the culmination of more than 150 years of effort by local citizens to provide a safe, dependable, navigation system for the Red River.  
The project generates jobs, stimulates the development of port facilities, increases water related recreational opportunities, prevents further loss of valuable land and infrastructure along the river’s banks and the navigation dams provide a potential source of hydropower.
Both aquatic and waterfowl resources benefit from the project. The Waterway has had a positive impact on the fish and waterfowl population of the region. Increasingly the Waterway is becoming a major flyway for migratory birds  and also has become a prominent fishing area. More information on the environmental features of the project is addressed on the following pages. 
The project consists of a 9-foot deep by 200-foot wide navigation channel that commences at the confluence of Old and Red Rivers and proceeds upstream for 236 miles to the Shreveport-Bossier City area.  Five navigation locks with usable dimensions of 84-feet wide by 705-feet long provide the necessary lift of approximately 141 feet.  The locks can accommodate a standard 6-barge tow and towboat in a single lockage.
The project also provides for realigning the banks of the Red River by means of dredging, cutoffs, and training works and stabilizing its banks by means of revetments, dikes, and other structural methods.  Facilities to provide recreation and fish and wildlife are also integral to the project.