Mississippi River Approaching Record-Low Water Levels, Threatening Commercial Traffic - The Wall Street Journal

VICKSBURG, Miss.—Sections of the Mississippi River are approaching debased h2o levels not seen successful much than 3 decades, disrupting a captious proviso lane for agriculture, lipid and gathering materials and threatening businesses including barge and towboat operators, farmers and factories.

The debased water, caused by a deficiency of rainfall successful the Ohio River Valley and the Upper Mississippi, has halted commercialized postulation and stream vessel cruises astatine galore spots beneath Illinois. Prices to vessel goods person much than doubled successful a substance of weeks. Barges are grounding connected sandbars successful unprecedented numbers and galore ports and docks nary longer person h2o heavy capable for commercialized boats to safely scope them.