Memphis — Low water levels on the Lower Mississippi River continued to limit barge unloading at many terminals. A rise of six feet in the river late the previous week – the result of up to two inches of rainfall in parts of the Ohio Valley – allowed some unloading at Memphis, but the rise was only temporary, and receding levels once again prevented unloading after only a day or two. “It’s a mess. The whole situation is taking its toll on us,” said one source, who reported product outages at the Memphis terminal last week. “I either have to rail it in, and rail rates just don’t work in most cases. If we don’t get some moisture we’re not going to need anything anyway.” Another industry source noted that “some have rail capability and some don’t, but it’s hard to switch from barge supply to rail. You can’t just flip a switch.” Terminal unloading in Louisiana and Mississippi was also “on again, off again,” according to one industry contact. In Lake Providence, La., a temporary rise allowed some barge unloading for several days in early August, but that was followed by another drop that shut the port down again last week. Loaded grain barges had to be lightened to reach dredged areas at the mouth of the harbor, according to sources, and then reloaded. One contact in that location said sediment left by last year’s flood has choked the harbor entrance, making it difficult for barges to enter. The same was reported in Greenville, Miss. “It’s not so much that (river levels) are at an all-time low,” the source observed. “It’s just that the low is higher.” The situation was similar at upriver points near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi. “Everyone felt good about ending the spring empty, but now what are we going to do?” said one industry contact last week. North of St. Louis, the lock system was keeping the river navigable in early August.
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