Drought has 'devastating' impacts on river barges

The low water levels of the Mississippi River — and others across the U.S. — have caused obstacles to shipping that have ripple effects on the global economy.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that more than 600 million tons — around 14% of all U.S. freight — is shipped on inland waterways. Barges represent the most efficient way to move goods on the ground.

Cary Harbison, executive director for Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority, said the drought has caused fewer barge shipments on the river and has forced lighter loads on the barges that are traversing the river, shallowing the depth of the barges.

Lynn Muench, senior vice president of regional advocacy for The American Waterways Operators — a national organization that advocates for the U.S. barge and tugboat industry — said in an interview Thursday, Oct. 27, that barges coming out of St. Louis were being forced to load at 9 feet instead of 12. The change was put into place at the beginning of October.

"That, I think, sometimes doesn't seem like a big deal to people, but if you take 1 inch of product out of one tow, it's a semi truck full of goods," Muench said.

The majority of the barges are loaded with dry cargo, often agricultural goods. The Corps estimates around 60% of U.S. grain exports are moved by barge. Harbison said it makes for a significant amount of shipments from the SEMO Port.

Muench said the restrictions are having a "devastating effect" on the nation's agriculture exports — one of the few positive balances of trade, meaning more is sent out than brought in, in the U.S.

The limitations represent a double-edged sword. Lighter loads increase shipping costs per unit, making shipping more expensive overall coupled with less traffic on the river because of price increases. All of it results in fewer goods making it to the market.

There was a slight reprieve as the Mississippi jumped up about 3 feet — from just under 6 feet to nearly 9 feet — in two days last week, but forecasts show the river will likely decrease almost another 2 feet by the middle of November as a lack of consistent rain is expected in coming weeks.

The low levels have made channel navigation more difficult, increasing the need to make sure buoys, which are navigational aids, are stocked. The U.S. Coast Guard District 8 — which encompasses the majority of the middle of the U.S. including Missouri — has around 7,000 river buoys, Muench said. The Coast Guard recently expedited a $37.8 million contract for about 4,000 buoys from H&G Marine Service based in Perryville, Missouri, noting the low water level makes the navigational buoys more important as a navigational tool.