drought

Enyart, Durbin Push Bills To Aid Shipping Industry

Adam Allington — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 23:13:07 +0000

A pair of bills related to transportation on the inland waterways was introduced in the US House and Senate on Thursday.

Illinois Congressman Bill Enyart introduced his first piece of legislation since being sworn into office last January—the Mississippi River Navigation Sustainment Act.

Enyart says the bill would give the Army Corps of Engineers authority that it doesn’t currently have, to conduct operations outside of the barge channel.

Drought-Stricken Plains Farmers 'Giddy' Over Heavy Snow

Frank Morris — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:46:00 +0000

Two rapid-fire snowstorms belted Kansas with more than 2 feet of snow this week.

Shipping Woes Ease On Mississippi River

Tim Lloyd — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:55:01 +0000

What a difference just a few weeks makes.

Earlier this year shippers feared that the worst drought in decades would slam the brakes on the billion dollar barge shipping industry, but recent heavy rains and snow have raised water levels on the drought starved Mississippi River.

Even though shippers are back to carrying normal loads, American Waterways Operators spokeswoman Ann McCulluh says the industry remains anxious about the future.

Winter Storm Could Provide Some Short-Term Drought Relief In Missouri

Marshall Griffin — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:57:27 +0000

The winter storm that dumped several inches of snow and ice across much of Missouri may bring some short-term relief to the state’s drought conditions.

Kelly Smith is Director of Marketing and Commodities for the Missouri Farm Bureau. He says the winter storm arrived on the heels of recent rain events, helping saturate the soil.

“This snow is gonna slowly melt into the ground," Smith said. "We will get some runoff from it in some areas because they got a 10 to 13-inch snow…we had areas in our state as high as 13, maybe even 15, inches up in north of (the) Kansas City area.”

Mizzou Scientist Says Summer Drought Shouldn't Be As Bad As Last Year

Adam Allington — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:55:34 +0000

The 2012 drought was among the most extreme the country has seen in recent memory, including the hottest July on record.

Climate scientists at the University of Missouri are predicting that the coming summer will be dry, but not as bad as last year.

Anthony Lupo is chair of the Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences. His methodology is based on historical patterns and statistics, not on week-to-week forecasts.

Lupo’s prediction for the coming summer offers some good news.