Drought Clogs River Traffic on Mississippi
August 22, 2012
Some 40 northbound and 57 southbound vessels, primarily barges, are stalled on the Mississippi River near Greenville, Mississippi. Low water levels due to the current drought caused a barge to run aground on August 18, stalling vessels up and down the river .
Mississippi River Commission spokesperson Bob Anderson reported to The New York Times that several groundings over the course of the summer have stopped river traffic. He also said that the Army Corps of Engineers is continuously dredging to maintain a 9-foot (2.7-meter) deep navigation channel. He noted that the situation is unlikely to improve unless the weather improves: “We need rain.”
The Mississippi River carries about half of the freight that is transported on U.S. inland waterways–annually about 500 million short tons (450 million metric tons). Most of the freight–primarily agricultural products, coal, steel, and petroleum–travels on large barges pushed by tugboats.
Additional World Book articles:
- When the Rain Stops (a special report)
- The Cost of Taming a River (a special report)