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Robert Ray/ AP
Water levels on the Mississippi River continue to fall near Vicksburg, Miss., seen in this Aug. 6, 2012 photo.
ABOARD THE DREDGE JADWIN IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER – The drought of 2012 has humbled the mighty Mississippi River.
A year after near-historic flooding, the river’s water levels are at near-historic lows from Cairo, Ill., where the Ohio River empties into it, to New Orleans, just north of its endpoint at the Gulf of Mexico.
In July, water levels in Cairo, Memphis, Tenn., and Vicksburg, Miss., dipped below those of the historic drought of 1988. That’s affecting everything from commerce on the maritime superhighway to recreation to the drinking water in Louisiana.
The biggest impact may be on shipping. “It’s getting near critical,” said Austin Golding, a third-generation co-owner of Vicksburg, Miss.-based Golding Barge Lines. “Without more rain, we’re heading into uncharted territory.”
About $180 billion worth of goods move up and down the river on barges, 500 million tons of the basic ingredients for much of the U.S. economy, according to the American Waterways Operators, a trade group. It carries 60 percent of the nation’s grain, 22 percent of the oil and gas and 20 percent of the coal, according to American Waterways Operators. It would take 60 trailer trucks to carry the cargo in just one barge, 144 18-wheeler tankers to carry the oil and gas in one petroleum barge.
MSNBC's Thomas Roberts talks to NBC News Correspondent John Yang and CNBC's Jackie Deangelis about the record-breaking drought gripping much of the country.
The low water levels mean that barge companies have to lighten their load by about 25 percent so the barges ride higher in the water, reducing what’s known as the barges’ “draught.”
That means each tow boat is moving less cargo than usual even though “it takes up the same amount of fuel to burn and the same amount of manpower,” said Ed Henleben, senior operations manager for Ingram Barge Co. in St. Louis.
Already this summer, there are been 15 to 20 cases of barges running aground, according to Steve Jones, the Army Corps of Engineer’s Mississippi River navigation manager. Some cases have stalled river traffic for as much at three days. At this point in an average summer, there’d be only about eight or 10, Jones said.
And as the water drops, the river channel narrows. In some places, the Mississippi is a one-way river as barges heading north have to wait for traffic headed south, adding to the costly delays.
The result: Millions of dollars in higher shipping costs.
“The products we tow, that product costs more,” said Golding. “Somebody’s got to come up with that cost.”
Economists say ultimately, it will be the consumer. “Some markets such as spot markets for agricultural products will be immediately impacted by increased transportation costs,” said Donald Sweeney of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
The Mississippi River, an essential waterway responsible for transporting billions of dollars of products every year, is becoming unnavigable. NBC's John Yang reports.
The navigational hazards of the low water levels are compounded by last year’s flooding, which resulted in a great deal of soil and silt being washed into the river, altering and raising the riverbed.
Because of that sediment in a flood, “as the ceiling rises, so does the floor,” said Golding. “We’ve just dealt with a historic flood, then the water drops.… We have some 50-year guys who’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s a completely different river than anybody’s ever seen.”
As the Army Corps of Engineers’ navigation manager, Jones spend eight to 10 hours a day directing dredges to keep a navigable channel from St. Louis south at least nine feet deep (a system of locks and dams manages the water depth north of St. Louis). So far, the government has spent about $60 million in the effort.
Grocery stores around the nation may soon see a ripple effect of the drought, with animal-based, perishable foods costs increasing by nearly 5 percent in the coming year. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports
The low water levels in the Mississippi are also resulting in a wedge of salt water creeping upriver from the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the drinking water supply in New Orleans. The Army Corps of Engineers hopes to begin work this week on a $5.8 million underwater barrier to block the saltwater’s advance.
The river’s low levels are the result of a combination of the mild winter in the Upper Midwest, which resulted in very little snow melt to feed the river, and the dry spring and summer in the tributaries to the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.
What will it take to get the Mississippi back to normal? Says Jones: “Rainfall – which will occur, it’s just a question of when.”
Drought conditions plague much of the United States after a summer of scorching temperatures and a lack of rain. The dryness is affecting America's farmland, threatening crops like soybean and corn.
More coverage of the drought:
‘Best year ever’ for some farmers outside drought region
Forced to sell cattle during drought, dairy farmers ‘just keep praying’ for rain
Drought expected to take toll at checkout
Americans tell their story of #Drought2012
In drought-stricken Wisconsin, farmers helping farmers
Emergency well drilling brings relief to farmers stricken by drought
Have you been affected by the worst drought in more than 50 years? Share your photos with us on Instagram, Tumblr or Twitter with the tag #Drought2012. You can also upload your photos in the box below.
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Well. I suppose the "government" needs to help. You know, the government a lot of these people want to get rid of and get out of their lives. Anyway, always with the hand out when things go wrong. With what and whose money? From where?
You need to step back from the pipe. Conservatives want smaller government and don't want handouts. I want a tax code without exemptions of any kind. I want to see a voucher system for our schools to break up the monopoly on education. Don't allow all of this money for student loans that allows Universities to raise tuition because they know the money is out there and available.
"The navigational hazards of the low water levels are compounded by last year’s flooding,"
OK..sooo which is it??
The Mississippi River really needs to be harnessed for electrical power, as well as the retention of valuable water and silt resources. High speed super rail transportation systems (double track systems) on land can take the place of commercial river transportation. But no one is ever going to listen to my ideas before it is too late, because the majority of the American people suffer from a collective religious "End Time" death wish. Have fun with your program "End Times" everyone! - Rick Carter
(These high speed super rail (double track) transportation systems are also needed throughout the country for the future transportation of large prefab industrial manufacturing, which is rapidly becoming the future of manufacturing all over the world. But who wants to listen here in the U.S. anyway? Most people here in the U.S. just wants the country and world to totally end, so their "Beloved Lord & Savior (King) Jesus" can supposedly return to establish his totalitarian theocratic kingdom over our entire world on the heels of World War III (the programmed Christian Apocalypse), and become the future supreme demigod dictator of the entire world. Like I said before, have fun everyone! I have to leave you all to your own devices from here on out.) - RC
(You bleeping suicidal lemmings !!!!!!!!!!!!!!) - RC
((I have warned everyone countless times on a daily basis for over 12 years now that all three of these Abrahamic terminal religious belief systems are Human Software Viruses (HSVs) designed to infect the human mind in a virtual boot sector way. They are all 'isotopic' components of a larger ET designed and installed PWMD (or Program Weapon of Mass Destruction) which in turn is (in part) modeled after a thermonuclear device. This PWMD is designed to crash and explode our emerging human world in a final programmed cataclysm of global warfare fueled with WMDs, known as the Christian Apocalypse or World War III. All three of these deadly terminal religious belief systems need to be theologically edited (i.e., reformed) according to a future universal standard for all religion in our world, if this PWMD is to be effectively defused where it exists, which is in the minds of the general public. I know all of this because I personally lived at Wright Patterson Air Force base from 1951 to 1953, while my grandfather (Colonel Charles Faulkner Carter) was second in command there, and he was personally involved in the background investigation into the Roswell Incident of 1947. These ETs repeatedly masqueraded as Divinity toward mankind over a period of several thousand Earth years, while covertly installing all three of these corrupt Abrahamic religions into our world in a serial way. These same ETs overflew Washington DC for a few weeks during 1952, in order to demand the return of the Roswell crash remains. They chose the middle of the Korean War as the most opportune time to do this, since the U.S. had its hands full militarily with the Soviets, the Red Chinese and the North Koreans. These offensive totalitarian ETs are hoping to use their eminent domain rights of military intervention in our sector of the Milky Way galaxy, in order to move in on our extremely valuable celestial real estate and take it over, with the ultimate intent of eventually taking it completely away, while once more masquerading as Divinity toward mankind, this time as the returning Christ or Messiah. They were forced to take this covert approach at territorial conquest because there are Free Galaxy powers which reside elsewhere in our Milky Way galaxy, who currently stand in the way of overt military conquest on a stellar level. Mankind potentially has countless millions (even billions) of years of growth, development and expansion ahead of them, so long as they don't fall for these ET installed terminal religious belief systems. The U.S. government is effectively signing the death warrant for the entire human race by effectively making a total liar out of me. I am former U.S. Special Forces, 6th Group (Psyops) and 5th Group, top "Go Team" Ft. Bragg, N.C., ETS from active duty 1972. Please listen everyone before it is too late for mankind on this precious planet !!!)) - Rick Carter
RICK: Mental health is your friend...Stop fighting it!
Whoa! Rick, Your rantings are way over the top! Roswell, Red Chinese, Milky Way???
If you truly are former military, you should go to the VA, and ask to speak with a Doctor. Before you do something that will get you locked up in a cage. There is help out there.
I'm sure Rick would be well received at the VA with that tin foil on his head.
Well, as bad as it is, this is an opportunity to dredge more sand and deepen the Mississippi a bit for awhile. I would rather have the rain, but a lot of sand is used every day in this country.
And you know of this sand from first hand experience? Have you ever been on the Mississippi?
On my recent 6000+ mile drive, from Boston to West Glacier, Montana (and back) I was amazed at the difference between South Dakota farmlands, (Rt 90) which all seem yellow and dry from lack of rain, and North Dakota (Rt 94) which looks more green and healthy. Even the N.Dakota wheat fields look to be growing high and healthy. Furthur east, it seemed that farms in Ohio looked to be in much better shape than those in Indiana and Illinois. It just amazes me, how much different it can be only a couple hundred miles apart. So unpredictable.. My Mississippi river crossings were in LaCross Wisc, and near Minneapolis on my way back. The river seems OK up North. From my observations.
Have heart, y'all. It's 2012 and December is just four short months away. Then we can just forget about it all and sleep. Just lie down for a nice, long sle-e-e-eep.
While it's down it might be a good time to put up some permanent flood walls in areas, since we all know that's coming eventually. They pretty much know what areas get hit the hardest. Be cheaper then paying for all the damage after it floods.
The Corps of Engineers creates more problems than it fixes.
well,they have been telling us for years that it was coming,so why act surprised.stop wasting it and start conserving.
To RIMOM!
The money for the farm assistants went to welfare recipients.
Dont worry folks...A few more TRILLIONS in Democrat spending will fix things.
Oh well, 100 plus rounds of golf, plus vacations, plus Michelle's travel, and wasting Air Force One continues, and continues, and continues, as America suffers.
we just need to vote for Obama and the sea will lower, rivers and lakes will rise.... let it be written let it be done..
Rationing. This procedure was used to control the small amounts of goods available to the consumer AND ALSO IT STOPPED PRICE GOUGING FROM THE PROVIDERS.
I suggest we all stop defending "inept" government - as though this excuse explains everything. Instead, write to congressment and give positive suggestions. I hear this Congress has passed fewer laws than any Congress since 1947. Maybe that means we have enough law - how about we look up the ones already on the books about - rationing? and use them.
Think of it this way. Ancient libraries can be found under the desert sands - probably have really good ideas in them. Nobody is using the ideas; nobody is reading the texts; nobody even KNOW HOW TO READ THE TEXTS.
Read what we have! We have enough to go everywhere. We must create action - peoples' bodies need to start to move in response to a law.
How does Congress start rationing? I, personally, am going to spend this day going over Congressional Records of the period 1940 and onward to learn "how" they put laws into action.
The Constitution says: if the Constitution does not specifically give a power to the federal government, it is reserved for the STATE GOVERNMENTS. IF AND WHEN Congress fails to act or move? then it is the assumption by prudent men that the State Governments should be doing it.
If, for example, food stamp distribution. Each State has the authority to do whatever it needs to do in any kind of emergency. I suggest each State just keep on issuing food stamp distribution AS THOUGH NOTHING STOPPED IT.
Banks, by looking through their own records can come up with enough authority to extend loans on the authority they already have from prior years.
I worked in a Superior Court here in California and ran a section of it. During the best of times we had one 2 people running one section of a very important part of law. The key to driving. Turn the key first.
Find the people in each section: who turns on the food stamp machine that recharges the food stamps to each, individual card? Their Supervisor, or the Supervisor's supervisor, up the chain until "authority" to turn on the machine is given - it comes down to the person with the key to turn on the machine.
Perhaps each Governor could issue a general "permission slip".
Each Governor can refuse to break the laws regarding illegal immigration as the wonderful Governor of Arizona has just demonstrated.
All the "power" we need resides in the States individually. Use it.
With the water lower than ever, this is a good time to chart the river and determine places that need to be dredged. Here in California, prisoners are used to do such work.
EPA, in the Depression put men to work that had no work. They went out in groups, lived together, ate together, worked together and made so much lasting bridges, roads, etc, we are still using them. We have manpower, use it.
Maybe now is the time to figure out how to use more modern techniques of building barges? if their weight could be reduced, while maintaining structural intregity? the barge could continue to carry the same weight as before, but in total, weigh less. That would mean the increase in number of trips would still lessen the energy used to do it and reduce the cost.
Come on America, use your head. We are a very smart Nation. Lets prove it!
If this isn't a wake up call about how much the population is going to be an issue, I don't know what will. Would there still be a drought? Sure would, but you wouldn't have to worry about as many people. I don't know why people still are selfish in having the numbers of children they have. It's sad that they don't care about what their great grandchildren will have to face.
I'm sure Asia would sell some of their flood water they are getting right now to the U.S. for a profit?
Out of all these posts are from multiple generations of family farmers? How many of you that have posted a comment only get paid once a year? After the drought of 1988, how many farmers picked themselves up and started fresh again 1989. I can't control the rain anymore than I can control some of the most idiotic comments made on here. A farmer has more integrity, grit, determination then any other occupation. They work 14-15 hr days in the Spring to watch all their hard work wither away. But come Spring again they will be out their again tryin to raise a crop. I have lived this life for 30 years. Hogs, sheep and dairy. Having the Mississippi partially closed down which transports 60% of the U.S. grain will put what little harvest there will be to a grinding hault.
Our family will be effected twice if not three times people making comments only once unless directly involved in farming. Don't pretend to understand or leave a comment unless you have walked in a farmer's shoe.
isn't it amazing, so many people arguing and bickering back and forth, but outside, things are really happenning, millions of trees are dead and millions more are dying, a cycle of no oxygen, no rain, no lakes, no rivers, no water, no crops, no food, and strangely enough, this cascade mechanism is just getting started, the wildfires in the west are consuming millions of acres, just keep up the frothy words and the jabberings of politics, the fish that used to live in the rivers and stream all died in the last heat wave, and the crops are failing at a rate of upwards of 90 percent.
clamour on my fine ladies and fellows, clamour on.
Like the dust bowl of the early 1930's we wont know how it all happened until afterwards. Global warming fanatics vs more conservative only post offensive remarks. The Mississippi is supposed to be glacier fed and then flows thru a series of dams and lakes manmade and natural. We widened and dredged it many times and how many states are siphoning offf from it and the dams are supposedly holding back water. With global warming the headwaters should be feeding more water not less? But maybe it's already on empty? No more glacier feed left? Too bad we allow special interest groups to dictate human future as we should be digging a path to another glacier further north in Canada. Plenty of water in the glaciers that are melting there.