# Mississippi River restricts barges as water levels drop - DredgeWire : DredgeWire

> The Memphis gauge fell to the minus-5 foot low-water threshold on August 30, and the Coast Guard's 9-foot draft requirement limits barge loads. A 9-foot draft carries about 900 tons, versus about 1,500 at normal draft. An agricultural economist said grain terminals will need more barges, trucks or rail, adding cost that pressures basis.

- Date: 2024-09-09 · published 2024-09-09T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16511-mississippi-river-restricts-barges-as-water-levels-drop-dredgewire-dredgewire
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Cutting barge loads by about 200 tons per foot raises per-ton shipping cost, which weakens corn and soybean basis at river terminals.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2023-08-31 | [Barge Spot Rates Hit $23.34 a Ton as Mississippi River Water Levels Drop - Bloomberg](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12851-barge-spot-rates-hit-23-34-a-ton-as-mississippi-river-water-levels-drop.md) | +1.5% | -6.4% |
| CORN | 2023-09-07 | [Barge rates pressured by low Mississippi River water levels \| Supply Chain Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34291-barge-rates-pressured-by-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-supply-chain-dive.md) | -1.2% | -6.8% |
| CORN | 2023-09-21 | [Barge loads reduced as low water impacts Mississippi River \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16605-barge-loads-reduced-as-low-water-impacts-mississippi-river-feed-and-grain.md) | -0.2% | +0.5% |
| CORN | 2024-09-04 | [Low water levels on the Mississippi River impact barges and grain exports before harvest](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16513-low-water-levels-on-the-mississippi-river-impact-barges-and-grain-exports.md) | -1.4% | +4.9% |
| CORN | 2022-01-27 | [Low Mississippi River water levels impact river users](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16735-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-impact-river-users.md) | +1.7% | +10.2% |
| SOY | 2023-08-31 | [Barge Spot Rates Hit $23.34 a Ton as Mississippi River Water Levels Drop - Bloomberg](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12851-barge-spot-rates-hit-23-34-a-ton-as-mississippi-river-water-levels-drop.md) | -2.6% | -5.8% |
| SOY | 2023-09-07 | [Barge rates pressured by low Mississippi River water levels \| Supply Chain Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34291-barge-rates-pressured-by-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-supply-chain-dive.md) | -1.8% | -6.4% |
| SOY | 2023-09-21 | [Barge loads reduced as low water impacts Mississippi River \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16605-barge-loads-reduced-as-low-water-impacts-mississippi-river-feed-and-grain.md) | -1.3% | -0.7% |

## Sources

- dredgewire.com: https://dredgewire.com/mississippi-river-restricts-barges-as-water-levels-drop/

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