Low river levels causing problems for area ports

NEW MADRID -- Low water levels on the Mississippi River, far from this spring's record-setting flood stages, are causing problems at Southeast Missouri ports.

The New Madrid County Port Authority and SEMO Port are both waiting for dredges to arrive to keep traffic flowing.

"Two of the docks are still working, said Dan Overbey, executive director of SEMO Port. "We have one that's at least temporarily out of service, but it's not that unusual this time of year. We wish it didn't happen, but it's not unusual."

Since its shipping levels fell below $1 million tons resulting in the SEMO Port no longer meeting the threshold for dredging by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, port officials have made their own arrangements.

"Things in Washington haven't changed. If anything, they've gotten worse," Overbey said. "Memphis District [of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers] usually dredges nine harbors and this year, they're only doing two. The others are basically left high and dry and they're scrambling to figure out how to get themselves dredged."

Overbey said a dredge is scheduled to arrive later this week or early next week to ensure water depths are sufficient to keep operating. On Tuesday, the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau was at 13.62 feet and rising.

SEMO Port expects to spend about $325,000 to have its harbor dredged this year. The funds will come from its general operating budget.

Timmie Lynn Hunter, director of the New Madrid County Port Authority, said in a letter sent Thursday to state and federal officials, that the corps' decision to put off dredging their harbor combined with a dropping river would result in conditions that stop barge traffic at the harbor.

"We've been having some trouble getting barges in and out of there," she said. "When the harbor was built it was understood that it would always have to have an annual dredge."

Hunter said she was advised by the corps that the corps' cost to bring a large dredge boat to the New Madrid Port from Memphis, Tenn., is about $550,000.

The corps had already contracted a smaller dredge, however, for work to repair damage caused in May when it intentionally breached the Birds Point Levee in Mississippi County.

"The corps said they will dredge us around the beginning of next month," Hunter said. "We had asked that they stop to dredge the harbor on their way upstream. At the time it did not look like we were going to get a rise in the river but we did get a bit of a rise which will make a difference for us."

The river dropped to 13.8 feet at the Cairo gauge Saturday, Hunter said.

"We were in trouble out there -- at 15 foot on the Cairo gauge," she said. "It did not shut us down because we already had the barges in there and they were able to unload."

The forecast for today was 16.9 at Cairo, Ill., and expected to reach 19 feet by Thursday. "Then it's going to start dropping again," Hunter said.

If the harbor did have to close for low water, it would be the first time ever.

"We've been trying our best to do something to make sure the harbor does not shut down," Hunter said. "It has never shut down due to high water, low water or ice."

Even during the spring flooding this year the New Madrid Port managed to remain open and ended up helping Noranda by providing a place for the aluminum company to offload coke barges, she said.

Hunter said they will keep a close eye on river gauges and forecasts in an effort to continue getting barges in and out without running aground while hoping for the dredge boat to show up.

"It should be around the first week of November," Hunter said. "That is what they're telling us."

mmiller@semissourian.com

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