Navigational hurdles persist on the drought-stricken Mississippi River...once more

The Mississippi River is currently facing low water levels, a problem exacerbated by the ongoing China-U.S. trade war and dry conditions in the Ohio Valley. Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, has highlighted the Ohio Valley's significant contribution to the current woes.

According to Steenhoek, less severe drought conditions in the upper Midwest have led to reduced flows out of the Ohio River into the Mississippi at Cairo, Illinois. This, in turn, has resulted in a difference in severity between the upper and lower Mississippi.

The current low water levels are causing concern for soybean farmers and the river's shipping community. On September 13, water levels on the Mississippi at Memphis were approximately minus 4.45 feet. As a result, shipping restrictions were implemented, limiting barges to drafts of 10 feet and six barges wide, between Cairo, Illinois, and Lake Providence in Louisiana.

Donnie Williams, chairman of the Lower Mississippi River Commission (LOMRC) and an active figure in the maritime and river transportation industry, expressed his hopes that the current levels won't set another record this year. He noted that under normal conditions, a barge grouping would be eight barges wide and six barges long on the lower Mississippi.

The ongoing low water levels are reflected in the Department of Agriculture's weekly Grain Transportation Report. As of Tuesday, the barge rate, expressed as a percentage of a 1976 base rate, ticked up to 600, up from 584 a week earlier. The report shows barge rates between Cairo, Illinois, and Memphis as 27% less than last year's figure and 20% less than the three-year average.

However, it's important to note that the barge rate quoted by the report for Tuesday would have been prior to the shipping restrictions implemented on September 13. South of Lake Providence to the Gulf of Mexico, the draft rises to 10'6′′, with the barge width remaining the same at six barges across.

The current Drought Monitor, published by a consortium of various educational and governmental agencies, shows drought conditions in the upper Midwest to be less severe than in the Ohio Valley. This discrepancy is a key factor in the current situation on the Mississippi River.

The ongoing situation is bringing about a 'here we go again' reaction among other members of the river's shipping community. Four years ago, the Mississippi River reached historical lows, but the current levels are not as low as those recorded in 2022 and 2023.

Despite these challenges, both Steenhoek's Soy Transportation Coalition members and Williams' Lower Mississippi River Commission are working to navigate these difficult conditions and ensure the continued flow of goods on the Mississippi River.