Saginaw River Shipping Volume at 10-Year Low
On account of cold weather shortening the season and a decline in cargo Saginaw River shipping traffic fell to its lowest level in 10 years in 2014
Saginaw River shipping traffic fell to a 10-year low in 2014. According to the local press reports, 110 ship visits were recorded in the Saginaw River from around May to mid-December, down from 139 in 2013 and nearly 70 percent fewer than the 347 visits recorded in 2005.
The decline in 2014 can be attributed in part to a shortened shipping season brought on by a cold winter. This year was a really difficult winter because it was such a difficult freeze up last year.
The statistics are kept by Todd Shorkey, a reporter for the website BoatNerd.com, which tracks shipping activity on the Saginaw River.
"As someone who enjoys watching the vessels and tracking them, it's distressing for me to see this downward trend," Shorkey said. "Obviously, we all want to see the numbers come up."
