# Another Midwest Drought Is Causing Transit Headaches on the Mississippi River

> Extreme Midwest drought is lowering Mississippi River water levels for the third straight year, with the lower river falling nearly seven feet since mid-July. Dry conditions have reemerged along the Ohio River basin after a brief wet spell in June and July. Transport firms are facing higher costs as a result.

- Date: 2024-10-17 · published 2024-10-17T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/28038-another-midwest-drought-is-causing-transit-headaches-on-the-mississippi-river
- 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

Shallower water forces barges to carry less cargo, raising freight rates and squeezing farmer returns on grain and soybeans shipped down the river. Higher freight costs weaken the price farmers receive and widen basis at interior elevators.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2023-02-28 | [River Rebound: Is the Shipping Crisis on the Mississippi Ending? - AgWeb](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16650-river-rebound-is-the-shipping-crisis-on-the-mississippi-ending-agweb.md) | +0.9% | +0.2% |
| CORN | 2022-11-07 | [Mississippi River's Low Levels Causing Barge Traffic Issues](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10337-mississippi-river-s-low-levels-causing-barge-traffic-issues.md) | -0.7% | -5.4% |
| CORN | 2024-10-16 | [As Harvest Ramps Up, the Lower Mississippi River Is Falling Again](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16504-as-harvest-ramps-up-the-lower-mississippi-river-is-falling-again.md) | +2.5% | +3.9% |
| 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% |
| CORN | 2023-08-28 | [Will It Be Deja Vu on the Lower Mississippi River This Fall?](https://feedsoft.ai/events/12855-will-it-be-deja-vu-on-the-lower-mississippi-river-this-fall.md) | -1.3% | -8.5% |
| SOY | 2023-02-28 | [River Rebound: Is the Shipping Crisis on the Mississippi Ending? - AgWeb](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16650-river-rebound-is-the-shipping-crisis-on-the-mississippi-ending-agweb.md) | +1.5% | -5.0% |
| SOY | 2022-11-07 | [Mississippi River's Low Levels Causing Barge Traffic Issues](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10337-mississippi-river-s-low-levels-causing-barge-traffic-issues.md) | +0.3% | -0.9% |
| SOY | 2024-10-16 | [As Harvest Ramps Up, the Lower Mississippi River Is Falling Again](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16504-as-harvest-ramps-up-the-lower-mississippi-river-is-falling-again.md) | +0.1% | +1.3% |

## Sources

- governing.com: https://www.governing.com/transportation/another-midwest-drought-is-causing-transit-headaches-on-the-mississippi-river

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