The Mississippi River's Water Levels Are Dropping, And Could Shut Down Trade Next Week

TBI - AP ^ | 12-28-2012 | Jim Salter

[blam]

The Mississippi River's Water Levels Are Dropping, And Could Shut Down Trade Next Week

Jim Salter, Associated Press
December 28, 2012

Wikimedia Commons

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Mississippi River level is dropping again and barge industry trade groups warned Thursday that river commerce could essentially come to a halt as early as next week in an area south of St. Louis.

Mike Petersen of the Army Corps of Engineers said ice on the northern Mississippi River is reducing the flow more than expected at the middle part of the river that is already at a low-water point unseen in decades, the result of months of drought.

The river level is now expected to get to 3 feet at the Thebes, Ill., gauge on Jan. 6, a juncture that could force new limitations. Worse still, the long-range forecast from the National Weather Service calls for the river to keep falling, reaching 2 feet on Jan. 23.

The Coast Guard remains confident that the nation's largest waterway will remain open. But officials with two trade groups — the American Waterways Operators and Waterways Council Inc. — said in a joint news release that even if the river is open, further limits on barges will bring commercial traffic to a halt.

Thebes, about 150 miles south of St. Louis, is a treacherous spot for barge operators because of hazardous rock formations and a big bend in the river. The corps is in the process of removing the rocks but work isn't expected to be finished until mid- to late-January at the earliest.

The trade groups renewed their call for presidential action requiring the Corps of Engineers to increase the flow of water from an upper Missouri River dam in South Dakota.

(snip)

[iowamark]

There is longstanding drought in the central US:

[Wuli]

spring & summer drought in parts of the midwest, and then winter comes and precipitation turns to snow instead of immediate runoff

a situation that has been repeated many times on the Mississippi

[rfreedom4u]

And should be a boom to the trucking and freight trains.

[jsh3180]

Your drought map shows Western North Carolina as moderately to abnormally dry, with a touch of severe drought.
No way that is possible, at least in Jackson and surrounding counties.
We have had way above normal rains for at least the past year.

[nomobs]

Maybe Obama, Reid, and Boehner can get together and use the same logic as fixing the econmy by raising taxes on the rich.

Just pour a gallon of water in the River should take care of the problem until next Christmas. Now if they can just get the chucleheads to agree, we will avert a crisis.

[CW_Conservative]

Do you remember the last time it was this low?

Actually no, but my newspaper search can remember lots, here are just a few:

MISSISSIPPI AT RECORD LOW; RIVER TRAFFIC IS HAMPERED
New York Times January 12, 1981

BARGE BACKUP. BARGES WAIT NEAR ST. LOUIS
Chicago Tribune December 20, 1989
The normal flow of Midwest grain to ports on the Gulf of Mexico has been disrupted because of heavy ice and low water on the Mississippi River, which has been closed to navigation for more than 200 miles south of St. Louis.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER WATER LEVEL HERE IS AT ITS LOWEST POINT IN YEARS DROUGHT IS THE REASON; BARGE TRAFFIC IS AFFECTED
St. Louis Post - Dispatch December 31, 1999

LOW WATER ON RIVERS BEDEVILS NAVIGATION HERE ; BARGES ARE AGROUND; MISSISSIPPI MAY HIT LOWEST LEVEL SINCE '89
St. Louis Post - Dispatch January 15, 2003

[stuartcr]

Right record lows have only been around for the last 10-20yrs. The
river has been navigable for lots longer and records have been kept for a very long time. This is in response to the question of it being cyclic.

[stuartcr]

Right record lows have only been around for the last 10-20yrs. The
river has been navigable for lots longer and records have been kept for a very long time. This is in response to the question of it being cyclic.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks blam.