Low water in the Mississippi River north of Baton Rouge in Louisiana – the so-called Lower Mississippi, not far from the Gulf of Mexico coast – has led to a new draft restriction of 41ft, down from the previously imposed restriction of 45ft. The affected area covers a 30-mile section of the river, the US Coast Guard said on October 24th.
There were fears that the tougher draft restriction could force further cuts to cargo capacity, exacerbating current supply problems for US agriculture and other staples. A large proportion of US grain exports is transported down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico for at least part of its route.
As of October 22md there were four closures on the Lower Mississippi, which had caused a backup of more than 2,700 barges and vessels in Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, the USCG said.
In addition, construction work was being undertaken by the US Army Corps of Engineers south of New Orleans to create an emergency saltwater barrier at Head of Passes. This work, as well as dredging operations in various sections of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, was further slowing down vessels.
No relief is in sight with the NOAA Climate Prediction Centre anticipating further drought in the middle and lower Mississippi Valley. The USCG has warned that water levels could decline “steeply”.
