Continued from page 13 MARAD also guarantees mortgages on inland waterway vessels. In the past year, Title XI mortgage guarantees were issued on 127 barges for $27.3 million. Inland system America's shallow draft carriers operate on navigable rivers, canals, and the Atlantic and Gulf intracoastal waterways. In general, waterways with depths of 12 feet or less are considered to be shallow draft, although the controlling depth for much of the system is nine feet. The Mississippi River is the main artery for commercial navigation for the mid-continent. In 1990, it carried about 325 million tons of cargo, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The Ohio River carried 221 million tons in the same period, and the Gulf Intracoastal Typical barge cargoes are either raw materials that are feedstocks to industry, such as ore and coal, or bulky semi-finished products, such as iron and steel. In 1989, petroleum and petroleum products comprised 36 percent of the tonnage moved, while coal and lignite comprised 24 percent. Over 20 percent of the nation's coal moves by barge. Bulk agricultural commodities totaled 73 million tons, practically all of which was destined for export. In addition, containerized cargoes are carried by barge on both the Columbia/Snake and Mississippi river systems. Conclusions In spite of its significant contributions to the nation's commerce, there is little public awareness outside the river communities of the shallow draft industry. This can be attributed to the nature of its cargoes, the non-intrusive nature of the mode and the industry's impressive safety record. "...the safest, most fuel efficient mode of surface transportation..." Waterway carried almost 113 million tons. On the west coast, the Columbia/Snake river system carried approximately 25 million tons. The industry The shallow draft industry consists of approximately 800 towing companies, which operate 5,188 towboats and tugs, some 27,000 dry cargo barges and 4,043 liquid cargo barges, and employs around 176,000 people, according to the American Waterways Operators, the national association of the inland and coastal tug and barge industry. While certainly not the size of typical oceangoing ships, inland barges are not small. A "jumbo" barge, now the industry standard, can carry 1,500 tons of cargo, equal to the capacity of 15 rail cars or 60 semi-trailer trucks. An average barge can carry five times its own weight. In terms of fuel efficiency, studies have demonstrated that barge transportation ranks highest -- half again as efficient as rail and five times more efficient than truck transport. The industry continues to serve the nation in innovative as well as old familiar ways. New applications are being found for barge technology as shippers discover the untapped potential of this transportation giant. To meet the country's new clean air standards, barge lines are carrying low sulfur coal greater distances to energy producers. In addition to the movement of traditional bulk commodities, every day more containers and manufactured goods can be seen on barges. It remains the safest, most fuel efficient mode of surface transportation, and will do its part to move America into the 21st century. Ms. Penny L. Eastman is the deputy administrator for Inland Waterways and Great Lakes, MARAD, Department of Transportation, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. Telephone: (202) 366-1718. The many faces of "Old Man River" By LT Phil Miller, LT Jane Wong and CW02 Jon Burk Think of the Mississippi River -- images of grand old gambling boats and Huck Finn lazily rafting downriver come to mind. Well, the gambling boats have gone and come again, while school boys are discouraged from rolling along with "Old Man River." Nevertheless, the Mississippi keeps rolling on -- beautiful, demanding and unforgiving as ever. Generations of river operators have acquired a healthy respect for the myriad of moods and faces found day to day -- season to season on this mighty waterway. An alluvial river, the Mississippi carries a lot of sedimentary matter, which in this case is sand. This sand spreads out as the river flows southwards, presenting a navigational challenge as the river is always changing. The channel actually moves, depending on the amount of water and deposited matter. This keeps the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers hopping to maintain this water highway for river traffic. Why is controlling the Mississippi so difficult? For one thing, there are no locks or dams on the more than 1,100 miles of river below St. Louis, Missouri, to manage the flow rates, which determine the amount of suspended matter carried which settle out and cause shoaling. The upper Mississippi, north of Cairo, Ilinois, has notoriously fluctuating water levels, especially in the St. Louis Harbor, where the Illinois, Missouri and Mississippi rivers merge. The Missouri River, which descends from Montana, receives rain runoff from the midwest states, and the Illinois River, coming down from Lake Michigan, gets rain run off from the Illinois area. Port of St. Louis Small by some standards, the Port of St. Louis nevertheless hosts more than 100 million tons of cargo every year, including 57 percent of our nation's grain exports and 40 percent of our petroleum product. The floating monoliths that transport this cargo are often more than 1,100 feet long and 100 feet wide. The typical unit is five barges long and three wide pushed by a tug. To accommodate this traffic, the Army Corps of Engineers attempts to maintain a channel that is 300 feet wide and nine feet deep. The Coast Guard attempts to keep the channel marked with buoys and river pilots attempt to guide their mammoth vessels. The word "attempt" reflects reality, as the Mississippi is an ever changing challenge. Continued on page 16 Continued from page 15 Low water A severe shortage of rainfall in 1988 and 1989 caused the worst dry spell since the Dust Bowl. This crisis slowed the flow of commerce on the western rivers when restrictions were placed on river traffic to ensure safe navigation from Cairo, Illinois, through St. Louis Harbor. Water flow dropped from a mean rate of 180,000 to less than 50,000 cubic feet per second. The channel depth decreased to less than nine feet and sandbars began to build. The lowest river condition ever recorded on the St. Louis gauge was -6.2 feet on January 16, 1940. (A gauge of zero feet is the historical mark signaling the start of navigational difficulties for vessels on the river at St. Louis.) In 1988, the low water level was -3.2 feet, and in 1989, -5.2. It would not stretch the imagination to believe that a person could have walked from one bank to the other without getting a hair wet. This was a challenging period for barge traffic management on the Mississippi. It set records for vessel/tow groundings and lost navigational buoys. Drought conditions have eased off in the past few years, but low water is still no stranger to the Mississippi River. Everyone takes a deep breath each summer when low water sets in. Shoaling becomes more frequent, navigable channels narrow and groundings become more numerous. Tows grounding on the Mississippi River don't have the same impact as groundings on the coast, due to the sandy river bottom and flat vessel hulls. River groundings often result in no damage. On the negative side, low water groundings often mean that the channel becomes blocked, holding up river traffic in both directions. In chronic trouble spots where multiple groundings have occurred, emergency dredging has been required to clear a channel before tows can proceed. This takes a day or two, resulting in a backup of as many as 10 tows (translating into some 150 barges). Such delays are costly, not only in lost navigation time, but in other ways. The fixed costs of running a tow boat, including items like food and salaries, remain whether the boat is moving or not. Of much greater consequence, however, are the losses accrued by industries waiting for cargoes being barged. This is the direct result of today's common practice of ship Aerial view of low water in the Mississippi River. ments arriving "in time." This means that the factories don't stockpile inventories of supplies, but rather have them delivered just in time to be used in production. In more than one instance, a company has been threatened with shutting down and laying off employees when a tow was held up due to low water closing the river. An estimated average $36,000 revenue a day (operating costs, lost revenue and cargo delay costs) is lost by a tow due to low water delays. Trouble shooters To minimize such down time, several organizations have focused on ways to avert trouble. This started after the drought of 1988, when record low gauge readings were set (Memphis hit minus 10.7 feet on July 10, 1988). Many barges were left high and dry. It drew the attention of the White House and the then vice president, George Bush, eyed the situation first hand. One organization that is used early during low water is the Lower Mississippi River Committee established in 1988. This group is composed of tow boat company representatives who meet with the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers to discuss problems and courses of action to reduce the number of problem areas along the river to keep river traffic moving. Continued on page 18 Continued from page 16 The committee's members are self-regulating in that they make decisions about reducing tow size (fewer barges or specialized tow arrangements) and imposing draft restrictions. This has proven to be effective in reducing the number of casualties during low water. The Army Corps of Engineers conducts frequent surveys of the river when low water conditions set in. The Corps keeps the navigable channel dredged to a minimum of nine feet. Their surveys, along with those of industry and the Coast Guard, help determine potential trouble spots. Contract and Corps of Engineers' dredges can then clear the shoals or shallow areas which threaten to close the navigable channel. An example of a trouble spot addressed by the Corps is an area where several tows have grounded over a short time period. Each tow trying to work its barges off the bottom can actually change the bottom contours as wheel (propeller) wash sucks sand from one area and "blows" it to another, thus causing another shoal. The Coast Guard's role is twofold: (1) The Coast Guard monitors the condition of the river as it falls, through casualty reports, calls from industry personnel, the towboat rider program, by overflights and through Corps reports. These all help coordinate the different players to work toward a common end. If necessary, a safety zone may be established to restrict vessel movements. (2) The Coast Guard sets buoys on the river to mark the navigable channel. Unlike those in deep water ports, these buoys are reset quite often as the navigable channel narrows or widens. They are an essential element in the safe navigation of today's large tows. The National Weather Service also plays an important role in low water operations. At the onset of low water, the service provides long range forecasts of river stage information for all major Mississippi ports. Also, the Corps of Engineers gets involved in forecasting river stages to plan navigation maintenance. Even with all of this effort Mother Nature sometimes works faster than the many organizations trying to keep the tows moving. If rapid drops in river stage occur, priorities change. When the so-called bottom falls out, shoaling can occur at an accelerated rate, causing an otherwise passable area to close. This doesn't mean there is no water there, just not enough to float a loaded barge and towboat through. An area which has to be dredged in anticipation of a problem may suddenly become a low priority as a result of the closure. High water High water conditions on the Mississippi River present a different set of problems, including bridge collisions. Seven bridges cross the St. Louis Harbor, four of which are within a 1.2 mile stretch of river. The combination of high water, increased currents and the close proximity of the |