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Drought and ensuing low river levels continue to affect the inland industry. Low water between St. Louis and Cairo, Illinois has threatened trafÞ c on the Mississippi River since December. For months, dredging operations have slowed vessels at points along the riverÕs course. Since December, a stretch at Thebes, Illinois, has been shut for much of each day as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes rock pinnacles. This month we gathered a group of industry insiders to hear their views about all facets of inland transportation. Our panel, listed in alphabetical order, includes Rick Calhoun, President of Cargo Carriers, Inc., CargillÕs barge business; Terence Gomez, a Senior Transportation Manager for AEP River Operations in St. Louis; Merritt Lane, President & CEO of Canal Barge Company, Inc. in New Orleans; Dan T. Martin, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial OfÞ cer at Ingram Barge Company in Nashville; and Clark Todd, President and COO at Blessey Marine Services, Inc. in New Orleans. They all weighed in on a host of subjects for MarineNews .How have reduced Mississippi River drafts have af- fected your operations, safety, and your bottom line? Merritt Lane, Canal Barge: Low water in the Mississippi River basin started in mid-2012 on the stretch of the Lower Mississippi below Memphis, Tenn. That affected much of our liquid and dry cargo operations and impacted any operator transiting the river above Vicksburg, Miss. For us, the biggest impact from recent, low-water conditions on the Upper Mississippi is on our tank barge operations between the Gulf Coast and the Chicago area. For more than a month, we loaded tank barges transiting the middle Mississippi River lighter than normal, and our tow sizes were smaller. Low water caused delays, meaning it took longer for these lighter-loaded Round Table: Low Rivers And Federal Actions Impact Inland Transit By Susan Buchanan 22 MNFebruary 2013 MN Feb2013 Layout 18-31.indd 22MN Feb2013 Layout 18-31.indd 221/30/2013 4:48:33 PM1/30/2013 4:48:33 PM
