MISSISSIPPI RIVER WATCH UPDATE

Tricia Braid

Jan 10, 2013  |  Today's News

As rain showers passed through a good portion of Illinois today, some waterways make be recharged. This is a good situation, but tough at the same time…do you hope that the ground is frozen enough that the rain runs off and into the River? Or do you hope that it’s a good soaking rain that helps replenish subsoil moisture levels? We’ll see what Mother Nature decided on our behalf. With regard to the Mississippi River, the latest look at the St. Louis gage has the River staying in a position to maintain navigation on the Mid-Miss through much of the month of January.

Illinois Corn has been tracking this issue for you and advocating on behalf of Illinois corn farmers and our industry, which depends on the river transportation system to move more than half our yearly crop from the state. Stay up-to-date by visiting the River-Watch page. You can see an updated slidedeck of information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) by clicking here.

USACE has aided in maintaining navigation on the River by accelerating their planned schedule for rock pinnacle removal and releasing water from Carlyle Lake Reservoir. Illinois Corn joins others in expressing gratitude for the efforts of the Obama Administration, Senator Durbin, and the many other Senators, Members of Congress, and Governors from Mississippi River states, who have underscored the importance of maintaining barge traffic on the nation’s busiest water transportation artery.