USA: Mississippi Water Levels Near Historic Lows, Raising Concerns About Agriculture

Parts of the lower Mississippi River, America’s largest water artery, are near their lowest levels on record. This was reported by the National Weather Service. It clarifies that the water level in the river, stretching over 3,778 kilometers from Minnesota to Louisiana, is about 3 meters below average.

The historical minimum was reached in October 2022: -10.81 feet (-3.3 meters) was detected in Memphis, Tennessee. The current level is -10.62 feet (-3.23 meters). This particularly poses a problem for transporting agricultural products on large barges that ply the Mississippi. According to a Reuters report citing the US Coast Guard, 36 ships have run aground in recent weeks. Parts of the river were closed 22 times in September 2023 to allow dredging work to take place.

This also caused traffic restrictions. Fewer barges can pass simultaneously, given the narrow navigable section of the river, and they carry lighter loads to reduce draft. This is detrimental to the agricultural industry, which at this time of year must market the soybean and corn crops that have to be transported to the Florida Bay from the endless fields of the Midwest.

Reuters’s forecasts indicate that the situation will normalize no earlier than mid-October. Problems that arose during the same period last year then led to an increase in transport costs. Prices for American grains have become less competitive in a world market that already faces competition from exports from other countries such as Brazil.