SALON

Monday, Aug 20, 2012 11:15 PM UTC

11-mile stretch of Mississippi River closed

By

Topics: From the Wires,

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Nearly 100 boats and barges were waiting for passage Monday along an 11-mile stretch of the Mississippi River that has been closed due to low water levels, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

New Orleans-based Coast Guard spokesman Ryan Tippets said the stretch of river near Greenville, Miss., has been closed intermittently since Aug. 11, when a vessel ran aground.

Tippets said the area is currently being surveyed for dredging and a Coast Guard boat is replacing eight navigation markers. He says 40 northbound vessels and 57 southbound vessels were stranded and waiting for passage Monday afternoon.

Tippets said it is not immediately clear when the river will re-open. A stretch of river near Greenville was also closed in 1988 due to low water levels caused by severe drought. The river hit a record low on the Memphis gauge that year.

The Mississippi River from Illinois to Louisiana has seen water levels plummet due to drought conditions in the past three months. Near Memphis, the river level was more than 12 feet lower than normal for this time of year.

Maintaining the navigation channel is essential to keeping vessels from colliding or running aground. Thousands of tons of material are shipped on the river each day.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is using dredges to dig out sand and ensure the navigation channel is deep enough for barges loaded with coal, steel, agricultural products and other goods. The corps is required to provide a minimum navigation channel that is 9 feet deep and 300 feet wide on the lower Mississippi River.

Shippers who move material up and down the river on a daily basis have complained that the shallow river is forcing them to lighten the loads on their barges to avoid hitting bottom. Lighter loads mean less revenue for the shippers, who still have to deal with costs such as labor and fuel.

Also, low water at docks and terminals makes it more difficult to load or unload material, as ships have trouble getting close enough to docks.

Just north of downtown Memphis on Friday, the dredge Hurley was cutting a 2,000-foot swath of river bottom to ensure that the channel is safe for vessels. The dredge is referred to as a dustpan, which means it uses a vacuum-like suction to suck up sand from the river bottom, said its captain, Frank Segree.

The Hurley can dredge to a depth of 75 feet and can remove up to 5,000 cubic yards of sediment per hour. That’s enough to fill about 68 backyard swimming pools in one hour.

After the sand is removed, it is then pushed through a 1,200 foot pipeline that deposits it on the banks of the river. For safety’s sake, the dredge tries to make the channel deeper than the required 9-foot mark whenever possible, Segree said.

The 350-foot long dredge is powered by three 16-cylinder engines that generate 10,000 horsepower combined, yet the vessel was moving just .12 miles per hour as it slowly removed the sand from the channel.

Before dredging begins, a survey crew checks the river bottom to see where the more shallow banks and shoals are located. After digging in one location, the survey crew and the dredge move on to another trouble spot.

“We’re hitting the high spots, then getting out of the way,” Segree said, adding that this has been his busiest year for dredging in the 20 years he has been with the Corps.

The river level in Memphis was minus-8.5 feet on Friday, according to the Corps of Engineers. The “minus” reading does not mean the river is dried up — it’s just a measurement based on how the Memphis river gauge is designed. Essentially, the reading means the river level is far below normal.

The record for the lowest measured water level for the Mississippi River near Memphis is minus-10.7 feet, in 1988. The Corps has said the river is not expected to reach record lows.

Segree said four dredges are currently working from St. Louis to Vicksburg, Miss., performing a job that is essential to U.S. industry but is hardly noticed by the general public.

“If we lose the river system it’s just like losing the interstate highway system,” Segree said. “Commerce is a vital part of our nation. This is a main artery for commerce.”

More Adrian Sainz.

Next Article

Related Stories

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

Mobile Entertainment: 9 Amazing Drive-In Movie Theaters Still Standing

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • Two-for-one for Everyone — West Wind Solano Twin Drive-In, Concord, Calif.
    This family-friendly attraction with several spots across the U.S. (including California, Nevada and Arizona) prides itself on offering first-run double features (save for premiere events) on the cheap — which is quite the deal, considering their 65-foot screens are among the biggest in the biz. And if you have great car speakers, even better: squawk boxes of old have been replaced with Dolby quality audio piped through your car’s FM stereo.

    Image credit: J.D.S. via Shutterstock
    westwinddriveins.com

  • For the Four-legged Friendly — Warwick Drive-In, Warwick, N.Y.
    Northeast city slickers looking for a place to watch their favorite movie stars under the stars need only veer six miles east of Vernon, N.J. What began as a family affair in 1950 has since become a seasonal institution offering rural and urban (and pet!) audiences two movies for the price of one on any of its three giant screens.

    Image credit: Getty
    warwickdrivein.com

  • See Stars Collide — Ford-Wyoming Drive-In, Dearborn, Mich.
    Open year-round (unlike many of its surviving contemporaries), this five-screen staple of the Midwest known as the “largest drive-in in the world” plays host for up to 3,000 cars on any given night. And if the double-feature doesn’t hold your attention, relax; you’ve got the best (car)seat in the house for the occasional overhead meteor shower.

    Image credit: waymarking.com
    waymarking.com

  • A Hole (Lot of Fun) in One — Wellfleet Drive-In, Wellfleet, Mass.
    Built in 1957 and still offering original mono sound boxes for those looking for an authentic experience (or not, as FM stereo is available as well), the summer-exclusive theater hosts double features of first-runs on its giant 100’ x 44’ screen. Come for the movies, stay for the mini-golf and flea market (on select days).

    Image credit: Getty
    wellfleetcinemas.com

  • Go Big or Drive Home — Bengies Drive-In, Baltimore, Md.
    The only thing bigger than Bengies’ prolific history (57 years and going) is its main attraction — boasting the biggest theater screen in the U.S. at 6,240 square feet. That’s 52’ x 120’ of pure anamorphic presentation. Complementing its time capsule of a snack bar (unchanged since ’56), previews old and new occupy the venue’s old-timey intermissions between features.

    Image credit: Getty
    bengies.com

  • Proof That Film is Forever — Shankweilers, Orefield, Pa.
    While we’re on superlative street, consider stopping at this roadside treasure: America’s oldest drive-in. Operating since 1934, it may not have the frills and pony rides of nearby Becky’s Drive-In, but it’s defied hurricanes and the wear and tear of time. Worth the one-hour drive from Philly.

    Image credit: Getty
    shankweilers.com


  • The Gritty Hollywood Reboot — Corral Drive-In, Guymon, Okla.
    Like a slasher movie menace that died (several times) in the ’80s only to be rebooted years after, the long-vacant Corral Drive-In was resurrected and restored in 2009, providing big entertainment at a nominal fee. And if the $6 adult admission doesn’t make you feel like a kid again, the venue’s inflatable bouncers most definitely will.

    Image credit: Getty
    corraldrivein.com

  • Hop the Healthy Highway — Delsea Drive-In, Vineland, N.J.
    Less than an hour’s trip from Atlantic City, New Jersey’s only drive-in offers the best of both worlds — old school aesthetic outfitted with modern tech and healthier food choices to boot. Open seasonally, with first features beginning around dusk.

    Image credit: Getty
    delseadrive-in.com

  • Bring Your Backyard to the Big Screen — Starlight Six Drive-In, Atlanta, Ga.
    As much a backdoor barbecue as it is a night out at the movies, this six-screen Atlanta drive-in encourages what most in the theater biz forbid: bringing your own food and grilling it. Those looking to add a hip twist of the theatrical to their Labor Day getaway need only stock the cooler and pack some brats or burgers for the Starlight’s annual “Drive-Invasion,” which features a hot-rod show, live music, and B-movies galore.

    Image credit: yelp/ivan.s.
    starlightdrivein.com

  • And really, what better way is there to cruise the nostalgia highway of old Hollywood than in a MINI Roadster? Allowing all the headroom one needs to see the stars on the screen and those directly above, the 2013 convertible goes the distance where it counts — on the road (obviously), not to mention the discerning driver’s wallet. Never mind that its fun-size frame also makes motoring in and out of tight traffic all the more enjoyable (or parking in even tighter spots for cozy romantics all the more convenient).

    Image credit: miniusa.com

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

Comments

 0 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: Chekhov's story mirrors Russia's own

Recommendations