High water levels have led to the closure of several locks on the Upper Mississippi and significant delays in the transportation of barges . These measures began July 2, affecting locks and dams (L&D) 12, 16 and 17 and are expected to continue possibly through next week, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Additionally, locks 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, 22 were scheduled to close on July 4 and lock 15 yesterday.
Impact of flooding on Upper Mississippi River Locks
The Corps indicated that the exact duration of the closures scheduled for July 4 and 5 has not yet been determined. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the western Corn Belt region received between 5 and 12 centimeters of rain last week. This resulted in considerable flooding of the river, causing severe flooding in Dubuque, Iowa and moderate levels of flooding in other areas along the river.
Despite these conditions, water levels are still 1.20 to 1.50 meters below historical highs recorded on the upper Mississippi River.
On Tuesday, the outflow at Lock and Dam 16 reached 211,444 cubic feet per second (cfs), compared to the typical flow of 41,100 cfs. Faced with this situation, the river transportation company American Commercial Barge Line expects an interruption of 7 to 10 days, followed by a recovery period of 2 to 3 weeks.
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Source: argusmedia
Photo: Shutterstock
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