According to today's USDA Grain Transportation Report, the 2023 Great Lakes shipping season began on March 25 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reopened the Poe Lock. The lock received critical repairs and maintenance during the 10-week winter shutdown of the Great Lakes.
USACE determines when to open and close Great Lakes navigation seasons based on the lakes’ navigability. So far this season, other reopenings on the Great Lakes include the Port of Duluth-Superior, North America’s farthest-inland freshwater seaport, and the Twin Ports.
As of March 25, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported the Great Lakes total ice cover was 5.2 percent, down from 21 percent the same day last year. From 2018 to 2020, the Port of Duluth-Superior shipped between 1.1 million tons and 1.5 million tons of grain.