Low Water Levels Causing Barge Groundings on the Mississippi River

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. "In response, the Coast Guard established a Marine Transportation System Recovery Unit with our federal, state, local, and maritime industry partners to facilitate safe navigation and the continued flow of commerce along the affected waterways."

The Marine Transportation System Recovery Unit (MTSRU) has been established to coordinate and facilitate waterway recovery, track the status of the waterway, recommend course of action to the captain-of-the-port, resume maritime commerce flow, and provide a forum for all stakeholders.

Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River has reported eight groundings in the past week due to low water levels.