# Low Water And Mississippi River Drafts - The Waterways Journal

> The Mississippi gauge at Memphis hit -10.79 feet, the lowest since records began in 1954, with no significant rain forecast in the basin. Groundings, light loading and restricted tow sizes are slowing movement of corn and soybeans. Southbound barge rates from St. Louis reached $105.85 per ton on October 11, versus $28.45 a year earlier.

- Date: 2022-10-21 · published 2022-10-21T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16676-low-water-and-mississippi-river-drafts-the-waterways-journal
- 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

Sharply higher barge costs and slower movement reduce interior grain values and delay export supply, with prices in Ohio River terminals falling below normal relationships.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2023-08-25 | [Low Water Continues For Middle Mississippi - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16608-low-water-continues-for-middle-mississippi-the-waterways-journal.md) | -2.2% | -9.0% |
| CORN | 2024-10-25 | [Low Water 'Three-peats' On Upper, Middle Miss - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16499-low-water-three-peats-on-upper-middle-miss-the-waterways-journal.md) | -1.7% | +0.1% |
| CORN | 2019-04-12 | [Swollen Rivers Await More Water - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59485-swollen-rivers-await-more-water-the-waterways-journal.md) | +1.1% | -3.1% |
| CORN | 2021-09-20 | [Ida, Nicholas Temporarily Halt Grain Exports From Lower Mississippi River - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45000-ida-nicholas-temporarily-halt-grain-exports-from-lower-mississippi-river-the.md) | -4.3% | -4.1% |
| CORN | 2022-09-29 | [Low water on the Mississippi River impacting barge traffic \| AP News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16679-low-water-on-the-mississippi-river-impacting-barge-traffic-ap-news.md) | +1.7% | +4.0% |
| SOY | 2023-08-25 | [Low Water Continues For Middle Mississippi - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16608-low-water-continues-for-middle-mississippi-the-waterways-journal.md) | -0.4% | -5.1% |
| SOY | 2024-10-25 | [Low Water 'Three-peats' On Upper, Middle Miss - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16499-low-water-three-peats-on-upper-middle-miss-the-waterways-journal.md) | -1.4% | -1.9% |
| SOY | 2019-04-12 | [Swollen Rivers Await More Water - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59485-swollen-rivers-await-more-water-the-waterways-journal.md) | -1.6% | -11.0% |

## Sources

- waterwaysjournal.net: https://www.waterwaysjournal.net/2022/10/21/low-water-and-mississippi-river-drafts/

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