UPPER MISSOURI RIVER

AWO, WCI Address Mississippi River Conditions

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, Barge Industry and Shipping Industry Representatives Hold Press Conference to Address Ongoing Mississippi River Navigation Concerns Due to Continued Drought and Low Water Conditions.   Representatives of the barge and shipping industries, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Coast Guard, held a press conference on the Mississippi River near St. Louis to address navigation and shipping concerns, as well as government-industry cooperation in managing the Mississippi River during continued drought and low water conditions. A developing situation on the Mississippi River could effectively bring commerce to a halt in early December.   Water releases from dams on the upper Missouri River are planned to be significantly scaled back later this month and these reductions are expected to negatively impact the Mississippi River water level between St. Louis and Cairo, IL beginning December 1. Of particular concern are hazardous rock formations near Thebes and Grand Tower, IL, which threaten navigation when water levels drop to anticipated, near historic lows. The rock formations, combined with the reduced flows from the Missouri River, will prohibit the transport of essential goods along this critical point in the river, effectively stopping barge transportation on the middle Mississippi River around December 10.  

Missouri River Operating Proposal

After nearly five years of intense study and debate, the USACE, Northwestern Division has begun to make public the operating parameters it will recommend for the future operation of the Missouri River. The recommendation comes in advance of a soon-to-be-released Revised Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the next step in revising the controversial Missouri River Master Water Control Manual. The recommended operating plan, or "preferred alternative

Ice Melt Aids Mississippi Navigation

Ice melt and rising water levels on the Illinois and upper-Mississippi rivers improved barge movement but traffic was backed up near Alton, Illinois, after the Melvin Price lock reopened, officials said Thursday. The Melvin Price auxiliary lock on the upper-Mississippi River near Alton began locking tows at 7 p.m. on Wednesday after closing the lock on Monday to flush ice from the dam. "They're not finished flushing ice but they are locking because most of the heavy ice has passed

Mississippi Dredging To Continue In Low Water

Low water on the upper Mississippi River will continue to prompt dredging activities to promote safe navigation of barges and other vessels in coming months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. The Corps, which operates locks and dams and oversees river conditions on U.S. interior waterways, said in a statement that it met with commercial shippers and U.S. Coast Guard officials on Thursday to discuss problems being caused by low water.

Clock Continues to Tick, Time for Action is Now

In response to the December 6 letter from Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy to Senator Richard Durbin providing an analysis of the impact of additional Missouri River releases to sustain navigation traffic on the Mississippi River, The American Waterways Operators (AWO) and Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) have issued the following statement: We reiterate that barge operators and shippers throughout the nation that rely on safe and efficient water transportation

Drought Stricken Mississippi Now Flooding

Seven Mississippi River locks between Muscatine, Iowa, and Saverton, Missouri, expected to close as water-level rises. The closures of Locks 16 through 22 will effectively shut the river to commercial navigation from central Iowa to northern Missouri, reports Reuters, citing information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Some 60 percent of U.S. grain exports are shipped via the Mississippi River and its tributaries from farms in the Midwest to export terminals at the Gulf of Mexico.

Low Water in Upper Mississippi River

The Coast Guard issued a safety advisory for the Upper Mississippi River, cautioning mariners of extreme low-water conditions. The low-water advisory is in effect between mile markers 109.9 (Chester, Ill.) and 185 (northern St. Louis). Heavy-draft vessels are advised to not transit the area, and all mariners are advised to use extra caution and be aware of shifting channels as buoys are adjusted for changing water levels and shoaling.

Mississippi River Closes After Towboat Accident

The Coast Guard has closed the Upper Mississippi River on Sunday from mile marker 130 to 144, to all vessel traffic due to a towboat accident which resulted in one sunken barge and 6 others damaged. The towboat John Paul Eckstein, lost power and ran its 25 barge tow into a dock near mile marker 144, approximately 20 miles above St. Genevieve, MO. As a result of the accident, the tow broke apart and all 25 barges were set adrift. All of the barges, except one were recovered.

Ross Labs Delivers Survey Boat

In mid-May Ross Laboratories, Inc., Seattle, Wash., delivered the first of two survey boats to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Rock Island District. The Ross "Mini-Sweep" is a small boat multi-channel survey system, designed for inland rivers and shallow water surveying. The vessel was named MV Holling by the Rock Island District, named after a long time marine surveyor who worked for the RI District who recently passed away

USCG Shuts Section of Upper Mississippi River

The U.S. Coast Guard closed a 403-mile section of the upper Mississippi River on Monday from Muscatine, Iowa, northward to Minneapolis due to high water and fast moving currents. The river was closed to all commercial and recreational traffic until further notice due to high water levels caused by melting snow and heavy rains, river officials said. Early Monday, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack issued a proclamation of disaster for 10 Iowa counties along the Mississippi River.