# Shipping challenges on the rain-starved Mississippi…again - FreightWaves

> Low Mississippi water levels at Memphis reached about -4.45 feet on September 13, and NOAA forecast a drop to the -8 foot low threshold by October 1. Coast Guard restrictions took effect on September 19, limiting barges to 10-foot drafts and six barges wide between Cairo and Lake Providence. Restrictions are looser to the south, with drafts of 10'6" toward the Gulf.

- Date: 2025-09-19 · published 2025-09-19T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16425-shipping-challenges-on-the-rain-starved-mississippi-again-freightwaves
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Barge capacity cuts raise shipping costs for grain and fertilizer moving to export terminals. The forecast deepening drought adds upside pressure on barge freight rates.

## Read by commodity

- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Sources

- freightwaves.com: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shipping-challenges-on-the-rain-starved-mississippiagain

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