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Apr 25, 2013
On April 22, Soy Transportation Coalition Executive Director Mike Steenhoek provided an update on the current flooding on the upper Mississippi River system to industry partners.
"To state the obvious, we are living in an era of extremes," said Steenhoek. "A few months ago, I and others were talking exhaustively about low water levels on the Mississippi River and its impact on barge transportation. Now the topic is high water levels. On January 1st, the water level on the Mississippi River at St. Louis was 4.57 feet below the river gauge. Tomorrow the level at St. Louis is expected to rise to 39.4 feet above the river gauge. We will therefore witness a 45-foot swing in water levels in 4 months."
Steenhoek talks about the impact high water levels are having on the transportation of agriculture exports and inputs, and compares the cargo capacity of barges with railcars and trucks. Read the full report here.
