There’s continued evidence that we may once again experience some low water conditions on the lower Mississippi River this fall.
The prospects for restricted barge transportation this fall may come as a surprise for many given the healthy amounts of rainfall throughout much of the Midwest this spring and summer. However, the spigot has mostly been turned off throughout August – particularly in states that feed into the Ohio River, which feeds the Mississippi.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 60% of the water volume on the Mississippi River south of Cairo, Illinois (where the Ohio River merges into the Mississippi River), is provided by the Ohio River. As a result, low water volumes on the Ohio River will often translate to low water volumes on the lower Mississippi River.
The higher water levels at St. Louis reflect the amount of precipitation in the adjacent regions throughout the spring and summer, which was most beneficial.
