Posted on 12/28/2012 8:19:44 AM PST by 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.
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(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Well that will certainly put a crimp in the plans for a dockworkers strike!
Isn’t this cyclic ?
Ice and winter- now ‘unexpected’.
Don't mind me, just another watchman blowing the trumpet even though the people aren't listening.......
I thought I saw a story a few days ago about taking water from the river for??
No, I’m sure this incorrect. Global Warming dictates that water levels will rise. /s
Do you remember the last time it was this low?
Just wait until the Red freezes and thaws, all will be good.
East Side (of the Long Muddy) represent! Not our fault. Must be the lame Mizzou and the upper tributes.
I believe the Canadians are still willing to sell us Lake Winnipeg for a buck and a half a gallon.
Hell, I'm gonn'a go get sum'm d'eat.
I can't remember if I ate yet or not
/8^)
1988, the first time in recorded history
That was before the news of the Mississippi getting low. It’s now $5 a gallon.
After all this snow and the storms...I don’t think so. Wait until the season is over and then get back to us.
This is BS. It's been above freezing almost the entire month of Nov. and Dec. in most parts of the country (where the Miss.River runs) and we've had a LOT of rain this fall so...you decide.
Obama’s election only healed the seas, not the rivers.
I work where we overlook the Mississippi and it is terribly low and has been since mid summer. The barge traffic has almost completely stopped - they had been doing some dredging to keep it open but it looks like it’s beyond that now.
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