Low water levels on the Lower Mississippi River south of St. Louis, Mo., the result of significant drought in areas of the Mississippi River Basin, have forced authorities to implement barge restrictions that are affecting the transportation of fertilizer, grain, and other commodities.
Sources last week said the Lower Mississippi is running about 8-10 feet below normal in most areas. If no rain falls in the lower basin over the next 28 days, authorities said the river could drop another 2-3 feet in many areas. August, September, and October are traditionally the driest months; even if rain comes to some drought-stricken areas of the Delta, sources said the moisture could be soaked up quickly before it makes its way to tributaries feeding the river.
The Lower Mississippi River Committee, an industry group that regulates traffic in times of high and low water, has limited draft depths to 9-9.5 feet along most sections of the river south of the lock and dam system, with some ports enforcing draft restrictions of 8 feet. According to several fertilizer industry sources, the result has been delays in shipments and growing concerns about warehousing issues, because barges are unable to get up to the docks for unloading.
Under normal circumstances, a 35-by-200 foot barge can carry 1,500 tons at a draft depth of 12 feet. Under the draft restrictions currently in place, however, barge loads must be reduced to about 900 tons. In addition, the committee has also decreased the width of tows due to the narrowing of the river’s main channel as water levels recede, resulting in roughly eight fewer barges per float.
The low flows have already produced several vessel accidents that further complicated barge traffic on the river. A traffic freeze was implemented on Aug. 24 at three sections on the river in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The final section was reopened late on Aug. 25, when salvage workers cleared the channel after a float consisting of 32 barges ran aground north of Rosedale, Miss.
The low flows were produced by near record drought in some areas of the Delta. One source last week said the period from March to July was the second driest on record in Mississippi, with some areas seeing rainfall deficits of as much as 10 inches from normal since the first of the year.
According to local news reports, the river dropped to a reading of 1.7 feet on the Vicksburg, Miss., gauge last week for several days, compared with a normal reading of 9.5 feet for this time of year. The record low at the Vicksburg gauge for this time of year is 2.5 feet below the zero mark.
About 70 percent of the water that flows into the lower Mississippi comes from the Ohio River Valley, which gathers water from eight states. While portions of that region have seen ample and timely summer showers, the U.S. Drought Monitor continued to report significant drought conditions along the Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee rivers, which are the Mississippi’s other major tributaries.
The long-range precipitation forecast for the Ohio River Valley reportedly calls for a 30-40 percent drop from normal levels, according to weather reports last week.
Water levels on the Mississippi above St. Louis, which are controlled by a lock and dam system, are reportedly normal for this time of year, although lock repair on the Ohio River is another factor impacting barge traffic.
As reported earlier by Green Markets (GM July 24, p. 9), repairs at Lock 52 on the Ohio River at Metropolis, Ill., have produced delays of up to three days since Aug. 3. The planned closure of the big chamber at Lock 52 from Sept. 19 to Nov. 11 promises significantly longer delays, sources said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also close two locks on the Arkansas River for two weeks beginning Sept. 9.