Army Corps cuts river flow, raising barge worries on Mississippi

ST. LOUIS ? The Army Corps of Engineers on Friday began reducing the flow from a Missouri River reservoir, a move expected to worsen low-water conditions on the Mississippi River and potentially bring barge traffic to a halt within weeks.

The Missouri flows into the Mississippi around a bend just north of St. Louis. One result of this year's drought, the worst in decades, has been a big drop in water levels on both rivers.

The corps announced earlier this month that it would reduce the outflow from the Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, S.D., to protect the upper Missouri River basin. That drew an outcry from political leaders and businesses downstream, who warned that allowing the Mississippi to drop more could have devastating economic consequences.

Corps spokeswoman Monique Farmer said Friday that the reduction began as scheduled that morning. By midday, the flow that had started at 37,500 cubic feet per second had been cut to 35,500 cubic feet per second.

Farmer said plans call for a gradual reduction down to 12,000 cubic feet per second by Dec. 11 because of the drought.

"We're hoping Mother Nature brings some snow this winter," she said, "but we've been told to expect low, stable conditions ? that it's probably going to remain dry."

The flow is being reduced despite opposition from the governors of Missouri and Illinois and 77 members of Congress whose states are along the Mississippi River. Scott Holste, a spokesman for Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, said his office never received a reply to a letter Nixon sent Army Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy to ask that the corps delay plans to reduce the Missouri River flow.

The Mississippi is nearing historic lows between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill. Barges are already required to carry lighter loads, and the middle of the river could be closed to barge traffic if the water level at St. Louis dips below minus 5 feet. It was at minus 0.45 of a foot Friday.

A zero river reading at St. Louis was established more than a century ago. It's the point at which people at that time thought the river would never drop below.

The National Weather Service forecast for river levels extends only as far as Dec. 6. It calls for the Mississippi River to get to minus 3.7 feet at St. Louis by then. Businesses that ship on the river and their trade groups expect to get minus 5 feet by around Dec. 10.

Barges carry 20% of the country's coal and more than 60% of its grain exports. Other cargo, including petroleum products, lumber, sand, industrial chemicals and fertilizer, also gets shipped along the Mississippi River.

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/4p_Z73Df4H4/la-na-drought-river-20121124,0,587584.story

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