mississippi river Archives - Maritime Shipping News

Mississippi River shipping faces potential crisis for third straight year

29 March 2024

Shipping along the Mississippi River could prove to be a massive headache in 2024, per a recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

An unusually warm and dry winter — which allowed the Upper Mississippi River shipping season to begin earlier than usual this year — might herald drought conditions in key areas of the Mississippi River Basin over the coming months.

“Of growing concern will be the potentially low flows on the Mississippi River this summer into fall due to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/mississippi-river-shipping-faces-potential-crisis-for-third-straight-year

Drought Threatens to Snarl Mississippi River Traffic for a Third Year

22 March 2024

By Will Wade (Bloomberg) — The Mississippi River is at risk of bottlenecks for a third straight year as warm, dry spring weather and low winter snowpack limit the amount of water feeding…

https://gcaptain.com/drought-threatens-to-snarl-mississippi-river-traffic-for-a-third-year/

Port of New Orleans nets $73M federal grant for container terminal

20 December 2023

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The Port of New Orleans has been awarded a $73.77 million federal grant to advance the first...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/port-of-new-orleans-nets-73m-federal-grant-for-container-terminal

U.S. Wheat Exports Plunge as Mississippi River Dries Up

8 November 2023

(Bloomberg) — American wheat shipments dropped to the lowest ever, hampered by a shrinking Mississippi River and competition from ample global grain supplies. Drought has dried up the Mississippi, where…

https://gcaptain.com/wheat-exports-plunge-mississippi-river-drought/

Water isn’t rising on Mississippi, but barge rates have steadied for now

9 October 2023

Although water levels on the Mississippi are showing no signs of an upturn, barge pricing stabilized in the past week and restrictions at one of the largest barge shipping companies have not gotten any tighter.

The weekly Grain Transportation Report published late last week by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed barge rates slipping slightly to 549 from 556. The rates are quoted as a percentage of a base rate set to the year 2000, which represents 100.

However, even though 549 is less...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/water-isnt-rising-on-mississippi-but-barge-rates-have-steadied-for-now

New Orleans Engineer District starts barging fresh water to treatment plants

3 October 2023

Underwater sill implementation reduces need for fresh water bagring

As low water level conditions on the Mississippi River persist, the USACE has started barging fresh river water to Plaquemines Parish, La., water treatment facilities. This water can be mixed with water at the intake to dilute salinity content to levels safe for water treatment.

The intrusion of salt water into the river is a naturally occurring phenomenon because the bottom of the riverbed between Natchez, Miss., and the Gulf of Mexico is below sea level. Denser salt water moves upriver along...

https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/new-orleans-engineer-district-starts-barging-fresh-water-to-treatment-plants/

USACE Begins Barging Freshwater as Mississippi River Water Plants Turn Salty

2 October 2023

(Bloomberg) — The drought that has led to low levels along the Mississippi River is now threatening the quality of drinking water. The river’s water levels have fallen to a point…

https://gcaptain.com/usace-begins-barging-freshwater-as-mississippi-river-water-plants-turn-salty/

Mississippi River Near Historic Lows Putting Grain Exports at Risk

29 September 2023

CHICAGO, Sept 29 (Reuters) – A key stretch of the lower Mississippi River dropped this week to within inches of its lowest-ever level and is expected to remain near historic lows just…

https://gcaptain.com/mississippi-river-near-historic-lows-grain-exports-at-risk/

Barge rates to move grain rise anew amid low Mississippi water levels

22 September 2023

Barge rates for moving grain on the Mississippi continue to climb with no signs of significant increases in water levels.

At 8.2 feet below base level, the Mississippi at Memphis, Tennessee, on Wednesday was starting to approach some of the worst levels of late October 2022, which was considered a crisis.

The grain transport cost indicator published each Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture climbed to 529 for the data published that day. The indicator is a percentage of a base-year-100...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/barge-rates-to-move-grain-rise-anew-amid-low-mississippi-water-levels

Barge rates on the Mississippi rise as water levels fall

1 September 2023

Water levels are continuing to fall on key sections of the Mississippi River, raising fears of another autumn shipping crisis like that of 2022.

The squeeze on barge rates was spelled out Thursday in the Department of Agriculture’s weekly Grain Transportation Report.

“Restrictions — which have grown increasingly stringent since June — lower the amount of grain allowed to be loaded on a barge,” the report said. “As a result, barge supply has tightened, because more barges than normal are required...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/barge-rates-on-the-mississippi-rise-as-water-levels-fall

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