Tagged: ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS

The Army Corps of Engineers says its efforts to keep a crucial stretch of the Mississippi River open to barge traffic should help avert a shipping shutdown that river industry officials fear is imminent.

The Army Corps of Engineers is ahead of schedule with its construction of the Olmsted Locks and Dam project. The Corps placed five concrete shells for the dam so far in 2012, and expects to finish a sixth by the end of the year. Previously workers have only completed 4 shells per year.

Two river navigation trade associations say the Army Corps of Engineers will blow up rock outcrops on the Mississippi River next week. The rock pinnacles in Thebes, Ill., could block river traffic after Christmas if water levels continue to fall. The rock removal is a half-victory for barge companies, who also want the Corps to release water from Missouri River reservoirs.

American Waterways Operators spokesperson Ann McColloch says the rock blasting project is welcome news, but adds the work will take an extended period of time.

U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul are urging Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear to seek a federal disaster declaration because of low water levels on the Mississippi River.

Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to public meetings to discuss new restrictions on fishing below Cumberland River dams. Alexander is the senior Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Water, which has jurisdiction over the Corps.