Lack of rain, especially in areas where the Ohio River is evacuated, leads to restrictions on freight sizes in the Mississippi river
On September 13, according to the National Water Forecast Service data, part of the National Oceanic and At The negative measurement is the difference between the actual surface and a base number called datum.
But despite the upstream flow that can be predicted, NOAA predicts that the current in Memphis is predicted to reach the “low threshold” of 8 feet on October 1.
Friday restrictions
The low level led to the implementation of Friday shipping restrictions. According to a statement made by the Coast Guard, the restrictions between Cairo, Illinois, where Ohio joins the Mississippi, has a limited to 10 -foot draft and six times. These restrictions were applied to the South Lake Providence Lake in Louisiana.
To the south of it to the Gulf of Mexico, the draft has reached 10’6. Frequency width is the same six times across.
Donny Williams, head of the Mississippi River Commission, is an industrial group that serves as a conduit between river transport companies and government agencies involved in transportation such as Coast Guard and Army Engineers. He is also a port captain with a channel freight.
Williams said the normal Mississippi conditions – generally defined as southern Cairo to the Gulf of Mexico – allow a freight group to be eight times and six times, for the total 48.
Increase the rate of freight
The effect of low water levels may appear on the freight rate. The Ministry of Agriculture’s weekly grain transport report shows that the rate of freight between Cairo, Illinois and Memphis is 27 % lower than last year and 20 % less than three years.
But the rate, which was described as a percentage of the 1976 base rate, has increased to 600 from Tuesday and increased from 584 weeks ago. On August 1, it was 401.
However, the report quoted the report for Tuesday before the Coast Guard restrictions.
In the north of Cairo, the Mississippi has a series of locks and dams that can adjust the low water level. In addition, the current drought monitor, published by the Consortium of various educational and government agencies, shows that the drought conditions in the middle of the upper western are more severe than the Ohio Valley. By reducing the flow of the Ohio River to the Mississippi in Cairo, it is added to the difference in the intensity between the Mississippi and the lower and lower.
Soybean farmers get another hit
Mike Stein Hick is the executive director of the Soybean Transport Coalition (STC). The members who serve the group are once again dealing with low water levels as a result of losing the Chinese market as a result of a trade war in China and the US.
He noted that dry conditions in the Ohio Valley play an important role in the current problems. “If you have low volume water in the Ohio River, you have low water volume in the Mississippi River.”
Steenhoek added, “Yes, it’s a problem.” He said, but this did not reach last year, which he described as “really harmful”.
Low water level among other members of the river transport community, including Williams, reacts “here we are going again”.
“Four years ago, we reached the lowest historical level, the lowest Mississippi river ever,” Williams said. He added that the feeling in the industry was that the result was a 100 -year -old drought and “that may not happen again.”
But the river has set up a new level in 2022 and 2023. And while its current level is not low, “We hope and pray that we will not set another record this year.”
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