Water levels on the mid-Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are in a good position going into the month of May. Dan Bowman, a grain merchandiser with ADM, reported in late April that river levels had risen to flood stage in some areas, causing some barge ports to shut down.
“It feels like we saw that a time or two, maybe in the last year or so, when we had these low water situations, we’d see some spikes and then we lose it,” says Bowman. “Now, it feels like we’re replenishing a lot of these tributary streams and rivers that feed the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.”
Bowman adds that this year, the rivers may be able to sustain levels necessary to keep grain traffic moving.
“It looks like maybe we’ll be able to sustain levels that have been a foot or two higher than what they have been in the last couple of years, which is nice to see. You just don’t want to see those sandbars on the Mississippi River when you cross that bridge every day,” says Bowman.
Being able to transport grain via barge helps manage fuel costs more efficiently.
