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Upper Mississippi News

14 Dec 2023

Upper Miss Navigation Season Draws to a Close

The last tow of the 2023 navigation season: The towboat Thomas Erickson departed Lock and Dam 10, near Guttenberg, Iowa, Dec. 3, with 15 barges. (Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District)

The 2023 navigation season has drawn to a close on the Upper Mississippi River.A 15-barge tow pushed by the towboat Thomas Erickson, the last of the season, departed Lock and Dam 10, near Guttenberg, Iowa, December 3, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District said.The 2023 season commence March 12, when the towboat Phillip M Pfeffer broke its way through the ice of Lake Pepin to travel to St. Paul, Minnesota.With the 2023 navigation season in the rearview, St. Paul District staff will remain busy this coming winter with maintenance projects at Lock and Dam 2…

03 Nov 2023

US Awards More than $653 Million for Port Projects

© druid007 / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) announced over $653 million to fund 41 port improvement projects across the nation under the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP).The investments—part of the largest dedicated funding for ports and waterways in history, nearly $17 billion through the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are intended to help grow capacity and increase efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports and inland…

18 Aug 2023

USACE Begins Dredging Near Brownsville, Minn.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, began dredging the Mississippi River navigation channel near Brownsville, Minnesota, in Pool 8 this week to ensure the channel remains open for commercial navigation. Dredging is expected to continue in this area through Labor Day. (Photo: USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, began dredging the Mississippi River navigation channel near Brownsville, Minn., in Pool 8 this week to ensure the channel remains open for commercial navigation.Dredging is expected to continue in this area through Labor Day.The Above Brownsville Placement Site, known locally as Crater Island, will be closed during this time when needed for dredging operations.The St. Paul District maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and 13 locks and dams from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa on the Upper Mississippi River.

03 May 2023

MARAD Awards $20.8 Million in Grants to Small Shipyards

(Photo: All American Marine)

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Wednesday announced $20.8 million in grant awards to 27 small shipyards in 20 states through the Small Shipyard Grant Program. The funds will help shipyards modernize, increase productivity, and expand local job opportunities while competing in the global marketplace.“Small shipyards strengthen America’s commercial fleet, bolster our economic security, and generate good jobs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We are proud to support these shipyards reinforce their vital role in the U.S.

23 Mar 2023

Corps Dredges Log Record Seasons to Combat 2022 Drought Impact

The USACE Memphis District’s Hurley dredged a record 14.5 million cubic yards of material for the 2022 season as the Corps battles historic water levels. (Photo: USACE Memphis District)

Extreme weather events—including both high and low water levels—can wreak havoc on inland waterways transport. In late 2022, severe drought conditions brought the latter to the Mississippi River Basin, underlining the importance of America’s dredging fleet.When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Memphis District's dredge Hurley returned to its home port, Ensley Engineer Yard, in Memphis Harbor, on January 13, 2023, it wrapped its longest, most productive season on record.

20 Mar 2023

Getting the Work Right: Coordinating Money, Time and Big Projects

© EJRodriquez / Adobe Stock

I. MoneyNo one ever said it’s easy to understand federal budgets and spending plans. Nevertheless, a general sense of clarity and straightforwardness is critical for any review of public expenditures. This becomes more pressing when tracking revenue and expenditures linked to specific users’ fees, such as the $0.29/gallon fuel tax, paid by inland waterways operators. In 2021, the Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) held $221.5 million, money earmarked to build, maintain and operate…

09 Dec 2022

National Waterways Foundation Elects Trustees and Officers

© Michael / Adobe Stock

At its meeting held November 6 in Paducah, Ky., the National Waterways Foundation (NWF) has re-elected the following Trustees:Cherrie Felder, Channel Shipyard CompaniesPeter H. Stephaich, Campbell Transportation CompanyH. Merritt Lane, Canal Barge CompanyClark Todd, Blessey MarineKristin Beck, LaFargeHolcimStephen SheridanThe NWF also elected the following new Trustees:Jennifer Carpenter, CEO, American Waterways OperatorsAndrew Brown, Vice President - Legal & Claims, Ingram Barge CompanyJason Nyberg…

18 Nov 2022

Infrastructure Improvements Set to Boost Efficiency at Lock and Dam 25

(Image: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

The list of projects on the United States’ inland waterways infrastructure to-do list is seemingly never-ending as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continuously works to maintain, repair and, when possible, upgrade aging locks and dams throughout America’s vast network of navigable rivers.But there’s been progress toward modernizing the system, especially in recent years amid steadily rising annual appropriations that fund the Corps’ Civil Works mission, and Construction…

15 Sep 2022

NTSB Reports on Collision Between Mississippi River Barge and Train

Aerial photo of the derailment of the two locomotives and eight hopper cars. Two additional hopper cars are submerged in the river. (Source: BNSF)​

The National Transportation Board said Thursday that a Mississippi River towing vessel’s pilot and its captain pushed its tow up against a riverbank too close to a railroad track, leading to a collision and train derailment near Galland, Iowa.Marine Investigation Report 22/22 details the NTSB’s investigation into the Nov. 13, 2021, collision between the towing vessel Baxter Southern and a BNSF coal train transiting the track along the shoreline of the Upper Mississippi River. The train struck a barge that was overhanging the railroad track.

17 Aug 2022

US Inland Waterway Infrastructure: Riding a Good News Wave

© Harold Stiver / Adobe Stock

The inland waterways have enjoyed several positive developments toward modernization of the system, particularly over the last two years.Annual appropriations that fund the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works mission have been steadily on the rise for the last nine fiscal years, specifically the Construction and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) accounts have been funded at historic levels. The passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021 provided a…

02 Jun 2022

Overpressurized Fuel System Led to Towboat Fire -NTSB

(Photo: American River Transportation Company​ / NTSB)

The engine room fire aboard a towing vessel was caused by overpressurization of the fuel day tank and a main engine fuel return system when a fatigued chief engineer inadvertently left the day tank overflow valves to the storage tanks closed, the National Transportation Safety Board said in Marine Investigation Report 22/17 released Wednesday.On May 18, 2021, the towing vessel Mary Lynn was pushing two barges near mile 176 on the Upper Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri when a fire broke out in the engine room. A Good Samaritan towing vessel and a St.

25 May 2022

US Inland Waterways: Big Money, New Projects, Help Wanted

(Photo: North Mississippi Industrial Development Association)

New federal money promises dramatic impacts throughout the United States’ inland waterways system in 2022 and beyond. This report focuses on America’s central rivers; the Western rivers will be covered in a future report. These central rivers reach 11,000 miles, from Pennsylvania to Florida and from Texas to South Dakota.Consider the money within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “Civil Works Program Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), 2022 Construction Spend Plan.”In Arkansas…

08 Mar 2022

Viking Mississippi Floated Out at Edison Chouest's LaShip Yard

(Photo: Viking)

Viking announced its new 386-passenger river cruise ship Viking Mississippi has been floated out at Edison Chouest Offshore's LaShip shipyard in Houma, La.Set to debut in June 2022, the Viking Mississippi will sail voyages on the Lower and Upper Mississippi River, between New Orleans and St. Paul.Viking Mississippi is equipped with a variety of measures to maximize energy efficiency and emissions—including a diesel-electric propulsion system comprised of eight CAT C32 EPA Tier 4 diesel engines…

07 Mar 2022

Recovery, Resilience and Demand Shifts to Drive Inland Waterway Cargo Flows

(Photo: Blessey Marine Services)

Waterway traffic is coming back. November 2021 saw 52.1 million tons moving on the U.S. inland waterway system, the highest monthly tonnage since October 2019, a few months before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the shutdowns and stoppages of early 2020. Flows estimated by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, based on data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) show a 25% rise from June 2020. Data in a presentation by The Waterways Council Inc (WCI)…

19 Jan 2022

US Army Corps to Upgrade Lock and Dam Critical for Grain Exports

(Photo: USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will use $732 million in federal infrastructure funding to modernize a lock and dam on the Upper Mississippi River that are crucial for shipping grain and soybeans to export markets, officials said on Wednesday.Upgrading infrastructure is essential for the United States to maintain its place as a top global agriculture exporter, as competitors including Brazil have made improvements.The Army Corps will design and construct a lock replacement at Lock and Dam 25 on the river in Winfield, Missouri, about 50 miles north of St. Louis, according to a work plan.

19 Jan 2022

US Army Corps Announces Spend Plan

© Elena Milovzorova / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Army on Wednesday announced  the Civil Works studies, projects and programs that the Corps would implement in Fiscal Year 2022 with the $22.81 billion in supplemental funding provided in two recently enacted laws — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; and the 2022 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.The spend plan supports the Administration hitting the ground running by focusing on current Fiscal Year 2022 spending. Future announcements will provide spend plans for subsequent years.

11 Nov 2021

USACE to Perform Winter Maintenance at Six Locks

( Photo: Patrick Moes / U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is preparing for major repairs at six of its Mississippi River locks this winter to ensure they continue working as designed.Maintenance is scheduled at Lock and Dam 4, Alma, Wisconsin; Lock and Dam 5A, near Fountain City, Wisconsin; Lock and Dam 6, Trempealeau, Wisconsin; Lock and Dam 7, near La Crescent, Minnesota; Lock and Dam 8, near Genoa, Wisconsin; and Lock and Dam 10, Guttenberg, Iowa.The locks will be closed from Nov.

08 Nov 2021

Inland Waterways: A Crucible of Issues

© Bill Perry / Adobe Stock

As 2022 appears on the not-so-distant horizon, we asked inland waterways executives to reflect on the major issues impacting their industry. Just how those issues evolve – and whether they present as challenges or opportunities – is, of course, unknown. Answers to some future questions will be relatively straightforward, confidently based on industry knowledge and experience. Other outcomes remain hazier, and next steps could be influenced by forces and players completely removed from the business of barges…

04 Nov 2021

National Waterways Foundation Elects New Chairman, Trustees and Officers

Matt Woodruff (Photo: Kirby Corporation)

At its Board of Trustees meeting held November 2 in St. Louis, the National Waterways Foundation (NWF) elected Matt Woodruff, Vice President of Public & Government Affairs, Kirby Corporation, as Chairman for a term expiring in 2023. He succeeds consultant Rick Calhoun as Chairman (2020-2021).The NWF, which develops the intellectual and factual arguments for an efficient, well-funded and secure inland waterways system, also elected the following Officers to serve one-year terms expiring in 2022President: *Tracy Zea…

02 Sep 2021

American Cruise Lines' New Ship Kicks Off Inaugural Season

(Photo: American Cruise Lines)

American Cruise Lines' new river cruise ship American Melody is ready to kick off its inaugural season on Friday along the line’s longest Mississippi River cruise.The 22-day complete Mississippi River cruise had originally been scheduled to operate from New Orleans, La., to St. Paul, Minn., but due to Hurricane Ida, guests will embark in Natchez, Miss.Through the end of December 2021, American Melody will also operate eight-day Upper Mississippi River cruises between St. Louis, Mo., and St.

26 Aug 2021

US Coast Guard Commissions New Unit in Paducah, Ky.

The crew of Station Paducah stand in front of a 29-foot Response Boat-Small II boat at the station commissioning, Aug. 26, 2021 held in Paducah, Ky. Station Paducah is the third of five new Coast Guard stations to be commissioned in the Coast Guard 8th District Western Rivers Sectors. (Photo: Jonathan Lally / U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned a new station, Coast Guard Station Paducah, during a ceremony held Thursday at the Carson Center in Paducah, Ky.Presiding over the ceremony was Capt. Amy Beach, commander of Sector Ohio River Valley. Station Paducah’s officer in charge is Chief Petty Officer Michael Sheahan.The station is responsible for search and rescue, recreational boating safety, ports, waterways, flood response, and coastal security. The station's area of responsibility ranges from mile marker 867 to mile marker 981 on the Ohio River…

14 May 2021

Barge Operations Cleared to Resume on the Lower Mississippi

The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday lifted its marine traffic restrictions on a section of the lower Mississippi River that has been closed since Tuesday, clearing towboats and barges to resume operations on one of America's busiest and most vital trade arteries.All river traffic came to a halt near Memphis, Tenn. on Tuesday when a large crack was discovered on a structural beam supporting the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which carries I-40 vehicle traffic over the river from Memphis, Tenn., to West Memphis, Ark.The waterway, which had been closed off at mile markers 736 to 737, is now reopened to all vessel traffic without restriction, the Coast Guard said on Friday morning as 62 vessels and 1,058 barges are in queue.

13 May 2021

Barge Traffic Backs Up Near Memphis Amid Mississippi River Closure

More than 700 barges are delayed on the lower Mississippi River on Thursday after a structural crack in the Hernando de Soto Bridge prompted the U.S. Coast Guard to halt vessel traffic on a portion of the crucial trade artery.The Coast Guard restricted all vessel traffic between mile markers 736 and 737 on the Mississippi River near Memphis after the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) discovered a large crack in a steel support beam on the bridge carrying I-40 over the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tenn., to West Memphis, Ark.The number of vessels and barges waiting to transit in either direction rose from 16 and 229 on Wednesday afternoon to 44 vessels and 709 barges and counting by Thursday morning, according to the Coast Guard.

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