New Orleans — The intense heat and lack of rainfall this summer has caused water levels on the Mississippi River and its tributaries to drop rapidly in recent weeks, prompting concerns about commercial barge movement as the harvest season approaches. Sources said barges were moving slowly on the lower Mississippi, tow sizes were being reduced, and loads on some vessels are being cut to below standard minimums to reduce the draft. The river has remained open but one lane of barge traffic has been closed, and barge depth was reduced to 8.5-9 feet, which reduces capacity by about 5 percent. The delays could add about three days to a trip from NOLA to St. Louis. There were reports as well that barges were unable to enter some slack-harbor locations last week due to narrowing channels, and larger vessels were reportedly staying put in New Orleans to avoid the risk of running aground. Terminals at Memphis were having trouble unloading barges because they cannot get close enough to the docks for the cranes to reach. Many of the facilities were water served only, which could spell trouble for some grain elevators. One source said river levels at his location were a full 50 feet lower than they were at the peak of Mississippi River flooding in May 2011.
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