Mississippi River Shutdown Could Happen by Next Week

By CnAgri Print

The feared shutdown of the Mississippi River due to low water levels could happen as early as next week, a waterways group said this week. According to the DesMoines Register, the U.S. Waterways Council, which represents barge, towing and other river shipping interests, said that it has been advised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of the most current 28-day weather and water forecast for the Mississippi River area near Thebes, Illinois, south of St. Louis, where rock pinnacle removal work is taking place.

Earlier forecasts had suggested that the nine-foot navigation channel could remain in operation until perhaps the middle of January.

The water levels for the Mississippi River have become a point of contention since November when the Corps said it would keep water in reservoirs in the Upper Missouri River in South Dakota rather than allow flow downriver into the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers as is done in a normal year.

The Corps has said it is following a mandate for water levels in reservoirs and rivers that is set by Congress. Various congressmen and governors in states along the Mississippi have called on the White House to waive the rules.

The latest forecast calls for the Mississippi River gauge at Thebes to be at 3 feet and falling on or around January 3-4, with vessel drafts limited to 8 feet.

The forecast for the river gauge to reach to 2 feet and falling will be on or around January 12-13, allowing only a 7-foot maximum vessel draft.

The Waterways Council said it is estimated that the river will reach a reading of 1 foot and falling on or around January 19, which equates to 6 feet of navigable depth. The majority of towboats require a 9-foot draft to operate and only a very small number of towing vessels can operate at 8- or 7-foot drafts.

Stakeholders continue to urge the administration to release a minimal amount of water from the Missouri River reservoirs to avert this effective shutdown of the Mississippi River to barge transportation.