News / Threat to vital grain traffic from record low water levels on the Mississippi

© Ed Metz

Shipping on the Mississippi river was moving again on Monday after it re-opened, but the worries for operators and shippers are not over.

The river had been closed for traffic in two sections, and more closures are likely as water levels are expected to sink to near-record lows.

Persistent drought resulted in at least eight groundings of barges last week, despite loading and draught restrictions, which prompted the closure and left more than 2,000 barges stranded along the Mississippi by Friday.

The situation ...