Heightened River-Water Levels and Flooding Recovery Reported as Winter Approaches

This article has been reprinted from the Dec. 26 USDA Grain Transportation Report.

For the week ending December 21, southbound tows on the Lower Mississippi River continued to be reduced by five loads in response to high water levels according to the American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL).

The Plaquemine area of the Lower Mississippi River is operating under daily one-way traffic restrictions through December 27 because of seasonal mat-sinking activities, conducted by the Vicksburg District of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to shield the riverbank from erosion and sloughing caused by channel currents and turbulent water associated with river flood stages.

On the Arkansas River, tow sizes remained limited to six loads because of Arkansas River flooding and recovery efforts.

According to ACBL, 12-barge tows will return some time in 2020.