25/04/07
Flooding on US rivers mires barge transit
Houston, 7 April (Argus) — Barge transit slowed across the Arkansas, Ohio and
lower Mississippi rivers over the weekend because of flooding, which prompted
the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to close locks and issue transit
restrictions along the waterways. The Corps advised all small craft to limit or
halt transit on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MCKARNS) in
Arkansas because flows reached above 200,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), nearly
three times the high-water flow. The heavy flow is expected to persist
throughout the week, posing risks to those transiting the river system, said the
Corps. Some barges have halted movement on the river, temporarily miring
fertilizer resupply efforts in Arkansas and Oklahoma in the middle of the urea
application season. The Corps forecasts high flows to continue into Friday, and
the National Weather Service predicts several locations along the MCKARNS will
maintain a moderate to minor flood stage into Friday as well. Both the Arthur V
Ormond Lock and the Toad Suck Ferry Lock, upriver from Little Rock, Arkansas,
shut on 6 April because of the high flows. Flows along the Little Rock Corps
district reached 271,600cfs on 7 April. The Corps forecasts high flows to
continue into Friday. Ohio and lower Mississippi rivers The Corps restricted
barge transit between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cairo, Illinois, on the Ohio River
to mitigate barge transportation risks, with the Corps closing two locks on the
Ohio River on 6 April and potentially four more in the coming days. Major barge
carrier American Commercial Barge Line (ACBL) anticipates dock and fleeting
operations will be suspended at certain locations along the Mississippi and Ohio
rivers as a result of the flooding. NWS forecasters anticipate major flooding
levels to persist through the following week. Barge carriers also expect a
backlog of up to two weeks in the region. To alleviate flooding at Cairo,
Illinois, where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet, the Corps increased water
releases at the Barkley Dam on the Cumberland River and the Kentucky Dam on the
Tennessee River. The Markland Lock, downriver from Cincinnati, Ohio, and the
Newburgh lock near Owensboro, Kentucky, closed on 6 April. The Corps expects the
full closure to remain until each location reaches its crest of nearly 57ft,
which could occur on 8 or 9 April, according to the National Weather Service
(NWS). Around 50 vessels or more are waiting to transit each lock, according to
the Lock Status Report published by the Corps on 7 April. The Corps also shut a
chamber at both Cannelton and McAlpine locks. The John T Myers and Smithland
locks may close on 7 April as well, the Corps said. The Olmsted Lock, the final
lock before the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, will require a 3mph limit for any
traffic passing through. The NWS expects roughly 10-15 inches of precipitation
fell along the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys earlier this month, inducing
severe flooding across the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. A preliminary
estimate from AccuWeather stated an estimated loss of $80-90bn in damages from
the extreme flooding. By Meghan Yoyotte Send comments and request more
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