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.
J Bennett News
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