Long-term drought decreases Missouri River barge traffic (PHOTO)

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) — A long-term drought trend since the 1970s has slowly caused barge traffic on the Missouri River to decrease, the Kansas City Star newspaper reported. Now that water levels have risen, some operators are hoping that commercial cargo shipments will make a comeback. Tonnage on the river peaked at 3.3 million in the 1970s and slid to just 245,000 last year.
 
Click here to view the newspaper’s story and photo.
By Professional Mariner Staff