America’s Most Crucial Waterway Is Drying Out
The Mississippi River, which ferries key materials between America’s heartland and the Gulf Coast, is once again nearing concerningly low levels.
Low water levels on the Mississippi River in Memphis, Tennessee, US, in late 2022.
Photographer: Houston Cofield/BloombergWater levels on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are falling for a second straight year, raising the prospect of shipping problems along the all-important US freight routes.
In Cairo, Illinois, where the Ohio joins the Mississippi, water levels have dropped more than 6 feet (1.8 meters) in the last week and are forecast to fall more than 4 feet further by the end of July, pushing the Ohio River into its so-called low stage — when barges can run aground and shipping lanes are forced to narrow. In St. Louis to the north, the Mississippi could fall another 3 feet; in Memphis, it’s forecast to decline by twice as much, putting it in its low stage, too.