Charles Camillo News

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…

Barge traffic on the upper Mississippi River was slowed on Oct. 24 when a 600-foot section of the river was closed to remove 1,400 tons of rock that was dislodged from a barge, a river official said. "This morning a barge broke away from a tow and dumped a load of rock in the middle of the channel," said Charles Camillo, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman. "No other barges were involved," he said. The accident occurred near mile marker 16, located about 16 river miles north of Cairo, Ill. Dredging vessels were on the site to remove the rock pile that measured 40 ft. wide and 100 ft. long. "At some places there is only 6 ft. of water covering the rock, which is below the minimum 9-ft. draft needed for barges," Camillo said.

Warmer temperatures across the U.S. Midwest were seen easing navigation on the Mississippi River near St. Louis but barge traffic continued slow on the Illinois River due to ice buildup, river officials said. "Milder temperatures over the weekend cleared the navigational channel of ice in the St. Louis area and water levels are about foot higher than they were a week ago," said Charles Camillo, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman at St. Louis. But further south of St. Louis -- Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Cairo, Illinois -- there was still 70 to 80 percent ice coverage on the Mississippi, officials said. On the Illinois River, there was hope among river officials and grain dealers that warmer temperatures would ease barge traffic problems.

Ice melt and rising water levels on the Illinois and upper-Mississippi rivers improved barge movement but traffic was backed up near Alton, Illinois, after the Melvin Price lock reopened, officials said Thursday. The Melvin Price auxiliary lock on the upper-Mississippi River near Alton began locking tows at 7 p.m. on Wednesday after closing the lock on Monday to flush ice from the dam. "They're not finished flushing ice but they are locking because most of the heavy ice has passed," said Charles Camillo, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer spokesman. As of Thursday morning, 16 south-bound tows and three north-bound tows were waiting to pass through the Melvin Price auxiliary lock, Camillo said.

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a safety travel advisory for sections of the upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers due to rising water levels near St. Louis. The Coast Guard said barges traveling on the upper-Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, (mile markers 205.0 to 55.2) and on the Missouri River near St. Louis (mile markers 0.0 to 150.0) were advised to watch for sudden changes in river conditions over the next several days. Rain over the weekend in the upper Midwest caused water levels in the St. Louis area to rise and they were expected to keep moving up over the next several days. The National Weather Service along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forecasted an increase in river levels from 5 to 10 feet over the next 24 to 48 hours.

Water levels on U.S. Midwest rivers were rising after recent warm temperatures and weekend rains mixed with snow hit the upper Midwest but no navigational problems were expected, river officials said. "We're experiencing a bubble effect with a rise and fall of water -- which will continue over the next couple of days," said Lt. Chris O'Neil, spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard in St. Louis. Water levels on the upper-Mississippi River near St. Louis were more than three times levels reached a week ago but were expected to drop gradually by Wednesday, said Charles Camillo, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman at St. Louis. "Water was forecast to reach 20.5 feet on Monday, then drop to 19.3 feet on Tuesday and 17.1 on Wednesday at the St. Louis gauge," Camillo said.

Already low water on the Mississippi River around St. Louis was expected by this weekend to approach levels too shallow for barge transportation, and a damaged lock slowed river traffic near Davenport, Iowa, river officials said Thursday. The St. Louis gauge for the Mississippi was at 3.0 feet on Wednesday and was forecast to hit 0.0 feet by Saturday. River traffic can continue operation through St. Louis until the gauge hits -3.5 feet and the river channel is 9 feet deep, the shallowest depth at which barge traffic can pass. "Any time it gets below five feet on the St. Louis gauge, everybody starts to monitor that. And when it gets below zero the river industry will start forming a low action water group and you'll see restrictions on tows and other things…

Barge tows traveling on the upper Mississippi River faced lengthy delays on Wednesday near Hannibal, Mo., after traffic was stopped for two days to dredge several spots in the river, river officials said. The river was closed in several areas between Hannibal and Quincy, Ill., on Monday when several barges reported shallow water conditions. The Corps of Engineers used a mechanical crane to dredge the shallow areas and carve a new channel in the river to allow barges to safely travel. "There were about three locations down there that had run out of water, but things have gotten cleaned up since this morning. Traffic is moving again," said Bill Gretten of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island district.