# Low Mississippi River water levels threaten U.S. agricultural exports - Marine Log

> Soy Transportation Coalition director Mike Steenhoek warns that low water on the Mississippi River, especially south of St. Louis, is limiting barge loads through reduced channel depth and width. Barge companies are loading lighter to avoid groundings, which have already occurred. He expects the problem to intensify as harvest season ramps up.

- Date: 2022-09-30 · published 2022-09-30T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/39755-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-threaten-u-s-agricultural-exports-marine-log
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Lighter barge loads and fewer tows raise freight costs and slow shipments of soybeans and corn to export terminals, widening basis discounts in the interior and pressuring Gulf export prices.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2023-10-09 | [How low Mississippi River water levels could disrupt grain harvests, again \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16594-how-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-could-disrupt-grain-harvests-again.md) | +1.1% | +4.9% |
| SOY | 2024-08-28 | [Ep. 7 Low Water Levels on the Mississippi River: Not the Three-Peat We Want](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16514-ep-7-low-water-levels-on-the-mississippi-river-not-the-three-peat-we-want.md) | +4.0% | +8.9% |
| SOY | 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) | +7.3% | +15.4% |
| SOY | 2024-09-16 | [Low Mississippi River water levels disrupt barge shipping for third consecutive year \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16507-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-disrupt-barge-shipping-for-third-consecutive.md) | +2.6% | +1.9% |
| SOY | 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) | -2.0% | +6.0% |
| CORN | 2023-10-09 | [How low Mississippi River water levels could disrupt grain harvests, again \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16594-how-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-could-disrupt-grain-harvests-again.md) | -0.2% | -3.4% |
| CORN | 2024-08-28 | [Ep. 7 Low Water Levels on the Mississippi River: Not the Three-Peat We Want](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16514-ep-7-low-water-levels-on-the-mississippi-river-not-the-three-peat-we-want.md) | +4.4% | +6.8% |
| 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% |

## Sources

- marinelog.com: https://www.marinelog.com/inland-coastal/inland/low-mississippi-river-water-levels-threaten-u-s-agricultural-exports/

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