Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Coast Guard said Monday they're optimistic navigation on the Mississippi River will continue between St. Louis and Cairo, despite historic low water levels.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and 12th District Congressman Bill Enyart traveled by boat Monday to get an up close look at the work to remove rock pinnacles that threaten river navigation near Thebes.
Durbin says this is a national challenge because the river carries a large amount of the country's commerce, especially related to agriculture. He says the good news is that the corps is keeping the channel at a depth of nine feet, enough to keep river traffic moving. But Durbin says the situation will need close monitoring for weeks to come.
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Roy Nash says the near term work to keep river traffic flowing will last through January. He says January is typically the slowest time for river traffic, so once we get into February and beyond, the river level should rise and navigation on the Mississippi River should normalize.
Barge operators have been worried that water levels in that section of river may get so low that weight limits on shipments could be further tightened, effectively halting shipping.
