Flashback:
– Jesse Ventura Conspiracy Theory: Worldwide Water Conspiracy (Video):
– The Mississippi River Is Drying Up (Economic Collapse, Aug 14, 2012):
The worst drought in more than 50 years is having a devastating impact on the Mississippi River. The Mississippi has become very thin and very narrow, and if it keeps on dropping there is a very real possibility that all river traffic could get shut down. And considering the fact that approximately 60 percent of our grain, 22 percent of our oil and natural gas, and and one-fifth of our coal travel down the Mississippi River, that would be absolutely crippling for our economy. It has been estimated that if all Mississippi River traffic was stopped that it would cost the U.S. economy 300 million dollars a day. So far most of the media coverage of this historic drought has focused on the impact that it is having on farmers and ranchers, but the health of the Mississippi River is also absolutely crucial to the economic success of this nation, and right now the Mississippi is in incredibly bad shape. In some areas the river is already 20 feet below normal and the water is expected to continue to drop. If we have another 12 months of weather ahead of us similar to what we have seen over the last 12 months then the mighty Mississippi is going to be a complete and total disaster zone by this time next year.
Most Americans simply do not understand how vitally important the Mississippi River is to all of us. If the Mississippi River continues drying up to the point where commercial travel is no longer possible, it would be an absolutely devastating blow to the U.S. economy.
Unfortunately, vast stretches of the Mississippi are already dangerously low. The following is an excerpt from a transcript of a CNN report that aired on August 14th….
You might think this is some kind of desert just outside of Memphis. It’s not. I’m actually standing on the exposed bottom of the Mississippi River. That’s how dramatic the drought impact is being felt here. Hard to believe, a year ago we were talking about record flooding. Now, they are worried about a new kind of record: a record low. The river was three miles wide here, it’s now down to three tenths of a mile. And that’s causing all kinds of problems. There are some benefits, I mean, take a look over here: new beach front. In fact, some quip that now the Mississippi River has more beaches than the entire state of Florida, which would be funny if it didn’t have an impact on trade.
A lot of stuff we use goes up and down the Mississippi River. We are talking steel, coal, ore, grain. The problem is now a lot of those barges have had to lighten their loads, and even doing that, they are still running aground. There is a real fear that there could be a possibility of closing the Mississippi River. If that happens, well, all that product that used to be carried cheaply by barge is now going to be carried more expensively by truck or train. And guess who is going to pay for all of that.
You can see video footage of what is happening along the Mississippi right here.
It really is amazing that last year we were talking about historic flooding along the Mississippi and this year we are talking about the Mississippi possibly drying up.
As I mentioned earlier, there are some areas along the river that are already 20 feet below normal levels. The following is from a recent article posted on inquisitr.com….
Just outside of Memphis the river is 13 feet below normal depth while the National Weather Service says Vicksburg, Mississippi is 20 feet below normal levels. Overall the Mississippi is 13 feet below normal averages for this time of year.
The drying up river is forcing barge, tugboat and towboat operators to navigate narrower and more shallow spots in the river, slowing their speeds as they pass dangerously close to one another. In some parts of the Mississippi the river is so narrow that one-way traffic is being utilized.
A lot of barges have been forced to go with greatly reduced loads so that they will sit higher in the river, and other commercial craft have been forced to stop operating completely.
For example, the Mississippi has dropped so low at this point that the famous American Queen Steamboat can no longer safely navigate the river.
Down south, the Mississippi River has gotten so low that saltwater is actually starting to move upriver. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is fighting hard to keep that contained.
Related info:
– Plaquemines calls state of emergency as saltwater moves up Mississippi:
BELLE CHASSE, La. – Parish President Billy Nungesser declared a state of emergency Tuesday morning due to a salt wedge that is moving up the Mississippi River and that could threaten the parish’s drinking water supply.
The wedge is currently moving north because of low levels in the Mississippi River and lack of rain in the upper regions on the U.S. The leading edge of the saltwater is approaching Belle Chasse.
Other waterways in the middle part of the country are in even worse shape.
For example, a 100 mile stretch of the Platte River has already dried up. Millions of fish are dying as rivers and streams all over the country continue to get shallower and warmer as a result of the ongoing drought.
The last time the condition of the Mississippi River was this bad was back in 1988. At that time, a lot of barge traffic was stopped completely and the shipping industry lost approximately a billion dollars.
If a similar thing were to happen now, the consequences could potentially be far worse.
As I wrote about recently, a standstill along the Mississippi would cost the U.S. economy about 300 million dollars a day.
In fact, one towing company that works on the Mississippi says that it has already been losing about $500,000 a month since May.
In the end, who is going to pay for all of this?
You and I will.
In fact, this crisis could end up costing American consumers a whole lot of money….
So here’s the math. If you want to raise the average barge one inch above the water, you’ve got to take off 17-tons of cargo. To raise it a foot, you’re talking 200 tons.
And since, according to the American Waterways Operators, moving cargo by river is $11 a ton cheaper than by train or truck. The more that now has to be moved on land, well, the more the costs go up. Steven Barry says, “And, eventually, the consumer’s gonna pay that price somewhere along the line.”
And considering the fact that we are already facing a potential food crisis due to the drought, the last thing we need is for the Mississippi River to dry up.
So is there any hope on the horizon for the Mississippi?
Unfortunately, things do not look promising.
The fall and the winter are typically drier than the summer is along the Mississippi River. That means that conditions along the river could actually get even worse in the months ahead. The following is from a recent Time Magazine article….
But without significant rainfall, which isn’t in any long-range forecasts, things are likely to get worse. As summer turns to fall, the weather tends to get drier. Lower temperatures generally mean fewer thunderstorms and less rainfall.
“Take away the thunderstorm mechanism and you run into more serious problems,” says Alex Sosnowski, expert senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.com. And while droughts tend to be a temporary setback, longer-range forecasts are troublesome. Sosnowski says he is anticipating an El Niño weather pattern next year, which would mean below-normal snowfall and above-average temperatures.
Let us hope and pray that we don’t see another 12 months similar to the 12 months that we have just been through.
The U.S. economy is already in bad enough shape.
We don’t need any more major problems on top of what we are already dealing with.
So what do you think about this? Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts below….
Salinization creeping further into the Mississippi River because of drought conditions is a further sign of climate change. We’re seeing the ’ills’ of global mismanagement coming back to bite us in the rear. I get really tired of people foolish enough to take Rush Limbaugh’s word as gospel. Rush is simply an opportunist who depends on an audience who barely made it through high school and are idiot to consider him all knowing and all wise – he’s not! He is the ’shock-jock’s’ version of a talk show host and a sell-out to special interest groups (read lobbyists) that have no problems further eroding our environment – to me, he’s pure danger! Having worked in radio news I’ve met this type of slime and it makes me want to retch! Global warming is real – man’s negative activities are contributing to this environmental breakdown – and if my money’s anyplace its with the environmental scientists – not some loudmouth conservative with a golden microphone on his desk. Rush Limbaugh spent only two semesters in college and according even to his own mother – flunked everything! For awhile he spun records! He was listed as 4-F to avoid service in Vietnam! Rush is a racist – sorry, but he is the trailer trash of talk radio! Okay enough about that – mentioning Rush really pushes my buttons!-) We need to take environmental change serious lest we want even our food to be imported from China in greater numbers! What frightens me is the environmental damage being done by fracking and the rush to let oil sands flow through the United States. This is highly dangerous stuff! Already we’re seeing manmade earthquakes and flammable liquids entering the fresh water tables and thus into drinking wells where tap water catches fire – this is crazy insane business where profit reigns over common sense! If enough of our waters (and its quickly getting to that point) become overly caustic – you can damn well kiss North America goodbye! We need to embrace clean power technologies that embrace and work with the earth rather than raping it for all its worth. That means more wind turbines, solar and magnetic power generation and in the process, creating more good American jobs! It means rather than oil sands pipelines running though the United States, to run pipelines from areas that see flooding to send the excess water to farmlands where its needed to irrigate crops – you know, the stuff we eat! As to the mighty Mississippi, we need to save her rather than allow her to trickle to a stop! So please, stop listening to drug-addicted college drop-outs as science experts and lets get serious about saving the only earthly home we’ll ever know – for ourselves, for our grandchildren and those to come!