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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Tennessee News

28 Mar 2024

Insights: Cherrie Felder, VP, Channel Shipyard Companies

Cheryl “Cherrie” Felder is among the U.S. barging industry’s most well-known leaders, having built a reputation as a difference-maker and champion for the industry.

For Cheryl “Cherrie” Felder, the path to the maritime industry was both untraditional and seemingly meant to be. After studying African art, she began her career working in a museum in New Orleans before landing a role directing professional rodeo in the Big Easy.“It was a lot of fun, and I learned a whole lot,” Felder said. “But as you may imagine, New Orleans is not a rodeo town. After the third year, the board of directors decided, okay, that's it. No more rodeo.”And that’s when Felder’s doorway to the maritime industry swung open


25 Mar 2024

Demopolis: A Cautionary Tale for Increased Infrastructure Investment

Demopolis Lock—which suffered a recent catastrophic failure—is a cautionary tale for other locks and those in Congress and the White House who may fail to see the urgency and importance of investing in the inland waterways system. (Photo: Chuck Walker / U.S. Army)

Demopolis Lock—which suffered a recent catastrophic failure—is a cautionary tale for other locks and those in Congress and the White House who may fail to see the urgency and importance of investing in the inland waterways system.The nation’s inland waterways lock and dam infrastructure, largely constructed in the 1930s, has seen modernization and rehabilitation across the system, albeit very slowly. Despite those efforts, lock failures continue, and the risk of failure persists.While


28 Dec 2023

Workboat Power: Alternatives Join Diesel to Power Current—and Future—Vessels

Crowley’s new electric tug eWolf is being built by Master Boat Builders for scheduled delivery in 2024. (Image: Crowley)

Analysts and commentators are quick to point out that fossil fuels will power maritime equipment, and indeed dominate the fueling marketplace, well into the future. However, they will do so alongside new fuels, and new technologies, that will be introduced to the maritime sector in the coming years. In its September, 2023 report “Beyond the Horizon: View of the Emerging Energy Value Chains”, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) explains that, “During the recent 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80)


29 Sep 2023

Mississippi River Near Historic Lows, Grain Exports at Risk

(Photo: Eric Haun)

A key stretch of the lower Mississippi River dropped this week to within inches of its lowest-ever level and is expected to remain near historic lows just as the busiest U.S. grain export season gets underway, according to the National Weather Service.Low water has slowed hauling of export-bound corn and soybean barges over recent weeks as shippers lightened loads to prevent vessels from running aground and reduced the number of barges they haul at one time to navigate a narrower shipping channel.The water woes come at the worst possible time for U.S.

10 Aug 2023

Mark's Epic Journey: 268 Days 1643 Hours, 6,800 Miles in a Kayak

Photo courtesy Mark Fuhrmann

After 268 days in his kayak, 1643 hours of paddling and a journey of almost 6,800 miles, 65-year-old Mark Fuhrmann has completed his epic “Reverse the Bad” charity expedition across Canada and the United States.In doing so, he becomes the first person to solo kayak the ‘Greater Loop’ circuit, beginning (and ending) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and traversing the Great Lakes, the Illinois, the Mississippi, the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers, before hitting the Gulf of Mexico and heading up the Atlantic Coast.A smiling


17 Jul 2023

Capsized Towboat Spills Diesel in Alabama

Containment boom limits diesel discharge from a partially sunken tugboat in Florence, Alabama, July 17, 2023. The Coast Guard and partner agencies responded to the fuel discharge, which has a maximum potential spill of 2,500 gallons. (U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Marine Safety Detachment Nashville)

A partially sunken towboat is discharging diesel fuel near Florence, Ala.The U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday it is responding to the incident alongside partner agencies after Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley received notification at approximately 2 p.m. Sunday from RMB Marine Services reporting the towboat Michael R had partially sank in the Port of Florence, adjacent to mile marker 257 on the Tennessee River.Pollution responders from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Nashville


26 Jun 2023

U.S. House Committee Green-Lights Strong Funding - WCI

© W.Scott McGill / Adobe Stock

The House Committee on Appropriations approved by a vote of 34-24 the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Energy and Water Development (E&W) Appropriations Bill. Included in the bill are Community Project Funding (CPF) requests for Inland Waterways Trust Fund (IWTF) construction projects.Overall proposed funding for Corps’ Civil Works is $9.57 billion, an increase of $910 million above FY23’s appropriated level, and $2.16 billion above the President’s FY24 budget request.FY24 funding for construction projects on the inland waterways is $455.97 million


22 Jun 2023

Corps Launches Lower Miss 'Mega-study'

© Aneese / Adobe Stock

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is kicking off a five-year, $25 million "mega-study" with the goal to help guide effective and practical management of the Lower Mississippi River.The Corps said the the study will help it to identify recommendations for the comprehensive management of the region across multiple purposes, including hurricane and storm damage reduction, flood risk management, structure and nonstructural flood control, floodplain management strategies, navigation


09 May 2023

USACE Mobile District Adds New Survey Vessel

(Photo: Jeremy Murray / USACE)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority held a ceremony to officially welcome a new survey vessel to its fleet in Columbus, Miss., April 28, 2023.The Miss Agnes, built by Theodore, Ala. based Silver Ships, is a custom 26-foot multibeam and single beam capable marine survey vessel that features an enclosed center console, a three-monitor survey station, and an air conditioner unit that is paired with a generator.

21 Apr 2023

US Set to Blow Up Fake Warship in the South China Sea

Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), right, transits with Philippine navy ships BRP Tarlac (FF 601), left, and BRP Jose Rizal (FF 150) during a replenishment-at-sea rehearsal for Balikatan 23, April 15, 2023 in the Philippines territorial waters. (Photo: Kendra Helmbrecht / U.S. Navy)

As part of a joint military exercise with the Philippines, the U.S. Navy is slated to sink a mock warship on April 26, 2023, in the South China Sea.The live-fire drill is not a response to increased tensions with China over Taiwan, both the U.S. and the Philippines have stressed. But, either way, Beijing isn’t happy – responding by holding its own staged military event involving actual warships and fighter jets deployed around Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own.The tit-for-tat war games underscore a reality that U.S.

19 Dec 2022

How Climate Change is Altering River Shipping

© Rob Sheppard/Danita Delimont / Adobe Stock

Rivers are critical corridors that connect cities and ecosystems alike. When drought develops, water levels fall, making river navigation harder and more expensive.In 2022, water levels in some of the world’s largest rivers, including the Rhine in Europe and the Yangtze in China, fell to historically low levels. The Mississippi River fell so low in Memphis, Tennessee, in mid-October that barges were unable to float, requiring dredging and special water releases from upstream reservoirs to keep channels navigable.Conditions on the lower Mississippi may be easing somewhat


11 Nov 2022

US Inland Waterways: Looking for Rainmakers

(Photo: Ingram Barge Company)

As 2022 moves into its final months, low water levels and drought form the basis of the news impacting inland waterways operators and barge companies. In the first week of October, numerous barges were reported grounded in the Mississippi River, particularly south of Baton Rouge. This has consequences: barge rates jumped 218% in St. Louis, compared to 2021.Low water was so severe that on October 7 Ingram Barge CEO John Roberts issued a force majeure notice (force majeure - unforeseeable


19 Oct 2022

US Corn, Soy Exports Lag Normal Autumn Pace Amid River Shipping Woes

© Branden / Adobe Stock

U.S. soybean exports are trailing their normal autumn pace despite rising supplies from an accelerating harvest, as low river levels have slowed the flow of grain barges to export terminals, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data issued on Monday.Corn exports are also lagging their typical harvest-time rate, weekly USDA export inspections data showed.Low water on the Mississippi River and its tributaries has slowed the delivery of grain barges to export terminals along the Gulf Coast, where some 60% of U.S.

10 Oct 2022

Mississippi River Reopens to Barge Traffic After Low Water Closures

© Harold Stiver / Adobe Stock

Two stretches of the southern Mississippi River were reopened to commercial traffic over the weekend after dredging operations deepened the shipping channel near Memphis, Tennessee, and near Stack Island, Mississippi, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday.The major shipping waterway had been closed to vessel traffic at the two locations since at least last week after several barges and boats struck the river bottom in the drought-parched river.The closures disrupted the flow of newly harvested grain from Midwest farms to export terminals at the U.S.

05 Oct 2022

Low Water Levels Causing Barge Groundings on the Mississippi River

© walkingarizona / Adobe Stock

A number of barges have gone aground in the Lower Mississippi River due to low water levels, the U.S. Coast Guard said.There are reports of barge groundings Tuesday near Stack Island, Mississippi, with a waterway restriction from mile marker 478 to 492 and Memphis, Tennessee, with a waterway closure from mile marker 686 to 676."Due to low water levels on the Lower Mississippi River, we have seen an increase in commercial vessel groundings," said Capt. Eric Carrero, Director of Western Rivers and Waterways at Coast Guard District Eight.

30 Sep 2022

Low River Levels, Soaring Barge Freight Curb U.S. Grain Exports

Credit: Alex Krassel/AdobeStock

Numerous barges have run aground on the lower Mississippi River, and grain barge shipping rates are soaring to historic highs this week, as drought has dropped inland waterways to levels not seen in decades.And with little rain in the forecast, the low water levels are hampering already sluggish grain exports at the U.S. Gulf Coast, where some 60% of U.S. corn, soybean and wheat exports exit the country.The logistical snarls come as the Midwest harvest progresses and the busiest crop export season starts


25 Aug 2022

CMT to Take Over Barge Services at Yellow Creek State Inland Port

(File photo: Yellow Creek State Inland Port)

Cooper Marine and Timberlands (CMT) is set to take over as the exclusive barge fleeting and shifting service provider for Yellow Creek State Inland Port, located at the intersection of the Tennessee River and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, effective September 1.“Thanks to the leadership of federal, state and local officials, Yellow Creek Port is on a trajectory of exciting new growth,” said YCP Executive Director Robert Dexter. “Tonnage and revenues have grown by double digits in the past few years.

15 Aug 2022

Solo Paddler Battered by Weather, Welcomed by Strangers, on 'Reverse the Bad' Odyssey

Mark Fuhrmann - steady progress, beautiful nature. seen here with his trusty kayak at Perce Rock, Quebec

After two months in his kayak, 64-year-old Mark Fuhrmann has succeeded in covering 2,000km of his 10,500km ‘Greater Loop’ paddle. Although battered by high winds, and fighting against large swells and difficult tides, the intrepid Canadian has made his way from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Quebec City, and is now on the boundary of Montreal. His year-long loop will eventually take him back to Halifax, by which time he hopes to have raised over EURO 100,000 for Doctors Without Borders and Captains Without Borders.Extreme commitmentFuhrmann


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 Aug 2022

Arcosa Marine Products Joins Green Marine

Arcosa Marine Products, a manufacturer of barges used to transport cargo on U.S. inland waterways, is the newest participant in Green Marine – the largest voluntary environmental certification program for North America’s maritime industry.Part of Dallas based Arcosa, Inc., Arcosa Marine Products manufactures dry cargo barges, including flat-deck and hopper barges for the transport of a range of products that include grain, coal, and aggregates. The company also manufactures tank barges that carry petroleum, fertilizer, ethanol, chemicals, and other liquid cargos.

07 Jul 2022

USACE Awards Mississippi River Harbor Dredging Contract

Representatives of Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, International Port of Memphis and USACE. (Photo: Jessica Haas / USACE)

Houston-based dredging contractor Great Lakes Dredge and Dock has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Memphis District for the rental of a 24-inch hydraulic cutterhead dredge, discharge pipe, and attendant plant for harbor dredging along the Mississippi River.The $7,335,450 contract was awarded June 2, 2022, with an anticipated completion date of February 28, 2023.A total of nine harbors were awarded, with actual dredging scheduled to take place from July 1, 2022, through December 2022.

13 Jun 2022

Barge Sinks in Kentucky Lock

A barge carrying gravel sank June 11, 2022, in the chamber of Kentucky Lock in Grand Rivers, Ky. The Corps of Engineers Nashville District is working with Terral River Service to refloat the barge June 14. (Photo: Caleb Skinner / USACE)

Officials are working to clear a barge that sunk in Kentucky Lock’s chamber on Saturday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.The barge carrying gravel hung on the miter sill of the lock, which caused the bow to tip and take on water, lockmaster Caleb Skinner said.Both deckhands that were working at the time remained unharmed during the incident, which occurred at approximately 7:30 a.m.The owner of the barge, Terral River Service, is working with USACE Nashville District and plans to refloat the barge on Tuesday


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