Mississippi River Drops, Threatening Barge Traffic

by Lance Turner  on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 3:24 pm  

Mike Petersen of the Army Corps of Engineers said ice on the northern Mississippi River is reducing the flow more than expected at the middle part of the river that is already at a low-water point unseen in decades, the result of months of drought.

The corps released water from Carlyle Lake in southern Illinois earlier this month, a move that helped the river rise about 6 inches. Petersen says another release began Thursday, which will add another 6 inches of depth by around Jan. 6, a move aimed at trying to stave off barge restrictions.

Fogarty said every effort is being made to help barges keep moving, but don't expect any magic turning point.

"There is no silver bullet," Fogarty said. "This isn't a battle against the water. This is a campaign."

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten, broadcast or distributed.)

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