An abandoned ship and human remains have been discovered along the Mississippi River, revealing just how shallow this river has become.
The depths of the Mississippi River have hit historic lows this past month.
Reaching northern Minnesota, extending through the Midwest plains, and emptying through Louisiana, the Mississippi River is an essential passage for American commerce. The river accommodates hefty boats carrying soybeans, oil, fertilizers, and even passengers on cruise-lines.
However, many of these routes have been shut down or blocked due to drought.
The Cause
In recent weeks, there have been about 20 blockages along the river, backing up over 1000 barges per day. How could so much cargo suddenly stop? What is causing this river to dry up?
Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo
The answer is low rainfall, according to Wall Street Journal reporter Cameron McWhirter. October is normally a dry month for the Mississippi, but the river can usually rely on late-summer hurricanes to dump long-lasting water supplies. However, no hurricanes or major rain storms have reached certain areas of the river basin, such as the Ohio River Valley. The result is so stark, it can be seen from space. The river is notably thinner, and has produced islands, as seen in the photos below taken by the Sentinel-2 Satellite.
The Effect
The disintegration of the Mississippi leaves behind a muddy mess, sinking boats and the economy alike. Soy, oil, agricultural products- where are these industries to turn? The next best transportation system for cargo- railroads.
However, not every farmer can run to a rail system currently overloaded with labor shortage and capacity issues. With overburdened rail systems and an underfed river, cargo is left with scarce transportation options. The capacity of barges on the river has been cut by 50%, according to Mike Seyfert, CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association.
Therefore, cargo that does make it to the markets is now atrociously expensive.
The cost of shipping grains has shot up from $21.91 to $105.85 per ton in just one day.
The US Coast Guard has placed restrictions on the depths that barges and commercial boats can sit on, and on the number of barges that tows can pull. The barges that do go on water must carry 20% less cargo than normal.
Although these restrictions are keeping the transportation system safe, the only real solution to prevent submerged cargo is rain. There is hope that December will bring more rainfall to the Ohio River Valley, and thus more water throughout the Mississippi River Basin.
This supply chain crisis has made it clear that we must re-evaluate nature-dependent infrastructure. With global warming evaporating all corners of the planet, we must prepare for continuous climate disasters.
