# Low water levels in the Mississippi River create issues for commercial boating - DredgeWire : DredgeWire

> Drought across the upper Mississippi region has lowered river levels, causing navigation problems for barges that can run aground on unexpected sandbars. The Corps reports more groundings near Wacouta than in the past decade or more, and only one barge with a tug can pass that stretch at a time.

- Date: 2021-06-23 · published 2021-06-23T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/46469-low-water-levels-in-the-mississippi-river-create-issues-for-commercial-boating
- 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

Shallow water and restricted passage raise barge transit times and freight costs for grain moving to the Gulf, which can narrow farm-gate bids in upper Midwest origins and lift barge rates.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: neutral
- CORN: neutral
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2021-07-26 | [Mississippi River experiencing low water levels thanks to lack of rain in northern Minnesota, fueled by climate change](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45958-mississippi-river-experiencing-low-water-levels-thanks-to-lack-of-rain-in.md) | -0.5% | -2.0% |
| CORN | 2021-06-23 | [Mississippi River Barge Traffic Slowed By Lower Water Levels \| State News \| voiceofalexandria.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/46472-mississippi-river-barge-traffic-slowed-by-lower-water-levels-state-news.md) | +2.8% | -5.4% |
| CORN | 2025-10-01 | [Low Mississippi River Levels Pressure Grain Barge Movement - RFD-TV](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16421-low-mississippi-river-levels-pressure-grain-barge-movement-rfd-tv.md) | +1.4% | +2.3% |
| CORN | 2024-02-23 | [Mississippi River levels return to normal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16563-mississippi-river-levels-return-to-normal.md) | +0.1% | +7.0% |
| CORN | 2019-02-26 | [Extreme water flows on the Mississippi River - The Swedish Club](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60483-extreme-water-flows-on-the-mississippi-river-the-swedish-club.md) | -1.5% | +0.9% |
| SOY | 2023-02-06 | [Rising water levels on the Mississippi but supply chain issues persist - DredgeWire : DredgeWire](https://feedsoft.ai/events/37495-rising-water-levels-on-the-mississippi-but-supply-chain-issues-persist.md) | +0.7% | +0.6% |
| SOY | 2025-06-16 | [Study: Mississippi River's 2022 low water levels reduced soybean crop value by up to $293 million](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16441-study-mississippi-river-s-2022-low-water-levels-reduced-soybean-crop-value-by.md) | -1.0% | -7.0% |
| SOY | 2018-07-12 | [IMX Session Explores Equipment and Dredging Work Along the Mississippi River - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63917-imx-session-explores-equipment-and-dredging-work-along-the-mississippi-river.md) | +1.5% | +7.7% |

## Sources

- dredgewire.com: https://dredgewire.com/low-water-levels-in-the-mississippi-river-create-issues-for-commercial-boating/

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