Heading into Winter, Minor Grain Barge Traffic Delays Reported

For the first half of December, ice accumulations have not been an issue on the Illinois River and lower portions of the Upper Mississippi River.

According toUSDA's Grain Transportation Report, the St. Louis area of the Mississippi River is operating under normal conditions; however, some dredging activity during night time hours has caused some delays.

The Ohio and Lower Mississippi Rivers are experiencing high water levels, causing some delays and restrictions of barge tow sizes.

For the week ending December 15, there were 816 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 3% higher than last week, but 12% lower than the 3-year average.