It is a challenge to wade through all of the bits and pieces of news that are just blown out of proportion. But thankfully, there is a small but growing number of sources that are doing a great job of sharing information, and the sources, and stopping at that point! One of those sources is a YouTube Channel called "What's Going On With Shipping," and a maritime marine professional shares data on what's going on. He is Sal Mercogliano, and he is a university professor and former maritime professional.

One of the things he spoke about in his podcast on October 29, 2024, was the state of the Mississippi and other inland waterways. The incredible LACK of moisture the last few months has obviously lowered the rivers and streams, and that means less barge traffic can be used. This doesn't mean that barge traffic is halted; it means that barges are running at something like 60-70% of their normal full tonnage. That just adds more COST to everything that is shipped on the waterways, because it now takes more trips to move the same amount of goods.

So there is a large push to start to modernize and update these waterways, because it's become a fact that the water levels can swing dramatically every year. Last fall, many of these waterways had to close to all shipping because they were just too low. And then earlier this year, they had to close due to hazardously high water levels. I don't know any more information, other than being able to verify that government and other shipping concerns are trying to figure out ways to help stabilize the water levels. But, as they all say, one can not predict "Mother Nature" at all, and it is foolish to try to!

Obviously, when these waterways are unable to do the job, the freight moves to semi trailers or to rail freight. These options present their own challenges, and also strain the already small supply of semi drivers out there. This means more cost! And it is far more time efficient to load and unload these huge barges than all the semi trailers or train cars, again leading to more cost. But making infrastructure changes to help mitigate the water situation means more spending, and again, more cost!

So what is to be done? Well, with the major shifts in "el nino" and "la nina" weather patterns, we have had a couple of very strange weather years. This may continue for a while yet, or be done soon, and I don't know which.  I have no answers to give. But I know a lot of thought and effort are being made to come up with solutions that can help accommodate lots of rain versus no rain. There are time tested, tried and true, consistent every time, reliable choices that could be made to help. In the meantime, until the right solution can be had, we can rest easy knowing that there are a great many ways to address issues in this area when they arise. And then we get to wait and see what, if anything, comes up to help minimize the issues from too much or too little water in these major rivers.