Low water and ice are delaying barge traffic on the Mississippi River at St. Louis and between St. Louis and Cairo, IL.
For the week ending January 6, downbound grain shipments at Mississippi River Locks 27 were 68 thousand tons, about 71% below the 3- year average for the first week of the year.
Rock pinnacle removal activities between St. Louis and Cairo have been halted due to ice accumulations in the river.
Barge traffic on the Ohio River has been delayed by operational difficulties at Locks and Dam 52. Illinois River shipments are slow, as barge operators are dealing with extreme ice issues. American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) reports that their normal Illinois River tows of 15 barges have been reduced to 6 or 9 barges. Based upon the current forecast, ACBL does not anticipate returning to normal tow sizes for another 30 days.
