# As soybean harvest quickens, low water levels on the Mississippi impede transport on major waterway

> Low Mississippi River levels are slowing grain transport in Arkansas, with the river at -6.4 feet at Memphis, more than 11 feet below its low-stage mark. Some elevators are reportedly shutting down, and growers are placing grain into private or temporary storage while the Arkansas soybean harvest runs ahead of 2016.

- Date: 2017-10-06 · published 2017-10-06T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/68666-as-soybean-harvest-quickens-low-water-levels-on-the-mississippi-impede
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Barges carrying less grain and elevator shutdowns create a bottleneck that adds freight costs and pressures local cash bids, while storage needs can delay supply reaching export channels.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 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% |
| SOY | 2022-10-31 | [Low Water Levels in the Mississippi River Result in Abnormally Weak Soybean Basis](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39337-low-water-levels-in-the-mississippi-river-result-in-abnormally-weak-soybean.md) | +4.6% | +5.0% |
| SOY | 2025-09-25 | [Low water levels return to Mississippi River as harvest season begins \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16423-low-water-levels-return-to-mississippi-river-as-harvest-season-begins-feed-and.md) | +0.4% | +2.6% |
| SOY | 2024-09-10 | [Lower Mississippi River Water Levels Falling Just as Fall Harvest Begins](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16510-lower-mississippi-river-water-levels-falling-just-as-fall-harvest-begins.md) | +0.5% | +3.4% |
| 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% |

## Sources

- uaex.uada.edu: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/media-resources/news/2017/october2017/10-06-2017-Ark-river-low-harvest-fast.aspx

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