I read an article about the floods and barge transportation on the river. They said that although the large numbers of barges on the river have a tendency to raise the water level, the transportation dept had no plans to curtail or slow down the barge traffic because it would slow the economy. The barges carry ore, coal, grain and auto parts.
It’s crony capitalism trumping the red statevoters and farming.
I am not an hydrologist but I suspect what you read is a bunch of hooey. Although there is a large number of barges and ocean going vessels on the river that river is so wide and deep that all of them combined would not raise the river level even an inch. Since the traffic is widely dispersed along the very long and wide river that also minimizes their affect on the river level.
I have lived in Baton Rouge and it is really scary to drive up that tall levee and upon reaching the top see that the river is 15 - 20 feet higher than the land the levee is protecting. It is also interesting to see a large ocean going vessel going up the river, look at the ship and then look back down the levee to the flat ground and observe the discontinuity of the two.
Since the river is still within the levee what is causing the flooding in Memphis? Are there things that drain into the river, like sewers, etc., which are backing up? Is there another creek or river that drains into the Mississippi and is backing up?
I don't remember the exact year but during the late 60's or early 70's I flew over the area between Dallas and Cleveland, Ohio, during a flood stage and at 30,000 feet there was water as far as the eye could see. The Red River, Big Black and Yazoo rivers were all backed up and flooding their own areas.
Who are 'THEY' and WHY are they so stupid?