# Low water levels slowing grain flow down Mississippi River - Brownfield Ag News

> Low water on the Mississippi River is slowing grain shipments, according to an south central Illinois farmer who hauls corn and soybeans to the St. Louis area. He reports long delays at Metro East terminals, where barges are going aground when loaded to draft, and facilities shifting to single commodities. He says the problem is recurring.

- Date: 2026-01-27 · published 2026-01-27T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16391-low-water-levels-slowing-grain-flow-down-mississippi-river-brownfield-ag-news
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Shallow draft limits barge loads and delays deliveries, which widens the gap between interior and Gulf export prices and weighs on cash bids for corn and soybeans in the Illinois region.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2025-10-15 | [Low Mississippi River levels threaten fall grain movement - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16417-low-mississippi-river-levels-threaten-fall-grain-movement-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +0.1% | +2.9% |
| CORN | 2022-10-25 | [Mississippi River grain elevator manager summarizes effects of low water levels - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16677-mississippi-river-grain-elevator-manager-summarizes-effects-of-low-water-levels.md) | -1.4% | -2.7% |
| CORN | 2025-09-25 | [Low water levels return to Mississippi River as harvest season begins \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16423-low-water-levels-return-to-mississippi-river-as-harvest-season-begins-feed-and.md) | -2.5% | -1.8% |
| CORN | 2023-08-30 | [Corn basis following Mississippi River levels downward](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12852-corn-basis-following-mississippi-river-levels-downward.md) | -0.0% | -8.2% |
| CORN | 2026-05-26 | [Low Mississippi River Water Levels Raise Shipping Costs For Farmers — Louisiana Farm Bureau News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16362-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-raise-shipping-costs-for-farmers-louisiana.md) | -1.8% | -6.6% |
| SOY | 2025-10-15 | [Low Mississippi River levels threaten fall grain movement - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16417-low-mississippi-river-levels-threaten-fall-grain-movement-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +2.4% | +10.6% |
| SOY | 2024-10-16 | [Poor timing of low Mississippi River levels - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/28040-poor-timing-of-low-mississippi-river-levels-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +0.1% | +1.3% |
| SOY | 2022-10-25 | [Mississippi River grain elevator manager summarizes effects of low water levels - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16677-mississippi-river-grain-elevator-manager-summarizes-effects-of-low-water-levels.md) | +2.6% | +4.7% |

## Sources

- brownfieldagnews.com: https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/low-water-levels-slowing-grain-flow-down-mississippi-river/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.