Water levels on portions of the Mississippi and lower Ohio rivers have dropped low enough to significantly hinder shipping across the inland waterway system.
This marks the third year in four that drought has been extensive and long-lasting enough in the Mississippi Basin to disrupt normal tug and barge operations.
During the autumns of 2022 and 2023, parts of the river system reached record low levels. Last autumn, water levels were near or above historical averages.
Since late this summer, conditions have shifted significantly from spring and early summer, when drought was minimal across the Mississippi Basin and excessive rainfall led to flash flooding.
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