terminals

Water levels in the lower Mississippi River are running very low. During September, the readings in Memphis, Tennessee were within inches of the all-time low. The situation is causing real problems for the grain export industry.

The water levels of the lower Mississippi are determined by the amount of rainfall in the upper Midwest. At the point where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers come together, about 90% of the water headed for the lower Mississippi has been accumulated.

Almost 400 miles of the Mississippi have experienced water levels at or below critical levels for shipping. During September, parts of the Mississippi have been closed to ship traffic more than 20 times. At least 36 vessels were reported to have run aground.

The low water levels on the river have caused shippers of soybean and corn exports to lighten their loads to keep the vessels from running aground. They have also reduced how many barges they pull at once in order to be able to navigate shipping channels that have narrowed because of the reduced water levels.

Fall is the busiest grain export season for the region. About 60% of grain exports from the Midwest leave the U.S. through terminals on the Gulf Coast. The low levels of the Mississippi River threaten gridlock for this vital industry. It has caused freight costs to be the highest since historic river lows last year caused U.S. grain to be less competitive globally.

Unfortunately, October is not normally a strong precipitation month, but the hope is that the El Niño now underway may lead to increased precipitation in the Southern U.S.

**********

Web Links

Mississippi River Nears Historic Lows, Putting Grain Exports at Risk

Photo, posted March 8, 2023, courtesy of Errol Sandler via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

San Francisco International Airport is the seventh-busiest airport in the United States. In a typical year, approximately 55 million people pass through SFO on their way to destinations throughout North America and beyond.

At some point during their journey to or from the terminals at SFO, each one of those people will pass by a seemingly unremarkable 180-acre parcel of land. Surrounded by highways and train tracks, the soggy and overgrown vacant lot isn’t just home to rows of power lines. It’s also home to the world’s largest population of the beautiful and highly endangered San Francisco garter snake.

According to a recent study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, there are approximately 1,300 San Francisco garter snakes at SFO’s West of Bayshore property – the greatest concentration of these snakes ever recorded.

Conservationists have long known that the San Francisco garter snake was in trouble. In fact, it landed on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s very first endangered species list, which was published in 1967. Over the years, agricultural, commercial, and urban development have destroyed much of its wetland habitat, as well as much of its primary food source, the California red-legged frog. The snakes have also been a popular target for poachers and collectors.

Since 2008, SFO has been working with the USFWS on a recovery strategy for the species. Together, they’ve made enhancements to the West of Bayshore habitat, including building rainfed ponds and deepening existing wetlands. They have also added fences to protect habitat and prevent illegal collection.

But low population counts at other locations means the recovery for the San Francisco garter snake is far from over.

************

Web Links

Combining genetic and demographic monitoring better informs conservation of an endangered urban snake

A San Francisco Airport Site Is Crawling With Snakes—And That’s a Good Thing

Photo, posted April 16, 2011, courtesy of Brian Gratwicke via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Mississippi River Running Dry | Earth Wise

Water levels in the lower Mississippi River are running very low. During September, the readings in Memphis, Tennessee were within inches of the all-time low. The situation is causing real problems for the grain export industry.

Web Links

Snakes Near A Plane | Earth Wise

San Francisco International Airport is the seventh-busiest airport in the United States. In a typical year, approximately 55 million people pass through SFO on their way to destinations throughout North America and beyond.

Web Links