River of possibilities

MoDOT, port cities buoyed by increased barge traffic; JC port at Algoa still a dream

A barge makes its way down the Missouri River past Jefferson City.
A barge makes its way down the Missouri River past Jefferson City.

Recent reports of barge traffic increasing on the Missouri River is an encouraging sign for Missouri Department of Transportation officials looking at alternatives to streamline the flow of freight in and out of the state.

There are currently three public ports on the Missouri River: St. Joseph, Kansas City and the Howard-Cooper County Port at Boonville. The Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce has expressed interest in developing a port in this area, but there are no immediate plans. The idea is for a port in the Algoa area, where several industries are already located. It would serve not only them but could help lure new industries into the area.

In this past legislative session, $12.4 million was appropriated by Missouri's General Assembly for capital improvements at the three current ports to help move the freight from land to water. Of that $12.4 million, $1.36 million of it will provide improvements at St. Joseph ($972,000) and Howard-Cooper County ($389,000). Ports officials said any improvement that makes it easier for cargo to move onto the river or access the river is good for all the ports along the Missouri. Increased cargo brings more barges and operators to the river which helps keep the costs low and in turn attracts more cargo.

MoDOT officials said one of the biggest
positives about waterborne freight is it's the most environmentally friendly way to move cargo.

"Boats use less fuel and have less emissions than other forms of transportation," said MoDOT Waterways and Freight Administrator Cheryl Ball. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Missouri DNR continuously monitor plants and animals who live along so they are not harmed."

Ball said agricultural products directly benefit from barge movements. Grain is exported via barge to the Gulf of Mexico where it is loaded onto ocean ships for international export. Missouri farmers retain these international contracts because waterborne freight keeps their prices competitive. Fertilizer also comes into the region via barge.

The Missouri was used for years and then its use significantly dropped off, making it severely underused.

"Overall, there was a series of flood and drought for a few years," Ball said. "Waterborne freight suppliers had a thin margin of profit. When the recession started, they couldn't maintain a profit consistently, so they either closed or moved to a different river. Once they moved, it has been difficult to overcome the reputation of unreliability and get them to once again service the Missouri River consistently. The river is reliable, but the reputation is hard to overcome. Missouri is fortunate to be a very rail intense state as well. As the waterborne freight suppliers left, the rail provided a cost-effective alternative."

Operations of the Missouri River are controlled by a master manual developed by Congress and implemented by the Corps of Engineers. The Corps adjusts the river's flow based on the amount of water impounded in upstream reservoirs and on downstream gauge measurements. It releases water from April 1 to Dec. 1 to allow for 244 days of navigation. Those dates, however, are subject to change each year as conditions warrant.

Navigators can use the river outside these dates, but the Corps does not guarantee flows at any other times. The Missouri River uses an 9-foot navigation channel depth. Navigators work with the Corps and the Coast Guard when spots on the channel are less than the 9-foot and need to be dredged.

Ball said it takes two to three days for river freight to travel from Kansas City to St. Louis. In the summer. an average of six to 10 barges are on the river each day moving cargo. Heavier cargo seasons coincide with agricultural planting and harvest.