Disruption of shipping on the Mississippi could imperil food supplies and cost billions in losses.

While the saga of the drought-stricken Colorado River is well-documented, another important American waterway, the Mississippi River, has fallen to historically low levels, disrupting a major shipping corridor. According to an article by Ben Tracy for CBS News, “Economic costs are estimated to be in the billions.”
Paul Rohde, who represents the river's shipping and towing industry, calls the operational challenges “almost unprecedented,” expressing concern about the ability of the river to continue serving as a conduit for forty percent of the world’s food supply, as well as other key commodities like petroleum, fertilizer, and road salt.
“The Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging the river nonstop for three months to help keep barges moving. It is desperately trying to maintain a nine-foot-deep shipping channel near St. Louis, sucking up enough sand and silt to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool every hour.” But as Lou Dell'Orco, chief of operations for the St. Louis District Corps of Engineers points out, “We can dredge it to a certain point, and then Mother Nature wins.”
FULL STORY: Drought disrupts "irreplaceable" Mississippi River shipping corridor

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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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