Through April 21, calendar year-to-date grain barge tonnages through the locking portions of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas rivers were 9.1 million tons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.
According to WorkBoat, that’s 14% lower than the three-year average and 27% lower than the 12.4 million tons moved during the same period in 2017, the USDA reported in its weekly Grain Transportation Report (GTR).
In early 2018, low water and ice delayed barge traffic on portions of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers and kept weekly tonnages below average. Water levels changed drastically in the second half of February when significant rain events caused high-water conditions that have continued into April.
The high water conditions slowed traffic and kept weekly tonnages below average except for a two-week period in late March, according to GTR.
Read the full report here.
