Reduced and More Fragmented Mississippi River Navigability by Rising Flow

The Mississippi River System (MRS) is one of the most important commercial routes in the world and its navigability is critical for anticipating potential disruptions in the global supply chain. Here we show that the navigability of the MRS has reduced since 1963, especially in the lower part of the basin. Based on analyses of daily stage time series and the associated conditions for navigation, we find that high rather than low water levels are the main culprits for the observed navigability issues. Moreover, not only have the navigable days decreased, but navigation without operational restrictions has also become more fragmented. Our findings provide basic information toward the development of strategies to mitigate potential negative effects in the U.S. navigation sector. The Mississippi River System (MRS) is vital for the U.S. economy and one of the most important commercial routes in the world. On average, 400 million tons of goods were shipped through the MRS in recent years, accounting for 92% of the U.S. agricultural exports and 78% of the world's exports of feed grains. The maintenance of adequate navigation conditions on the MRS is challenging and requires actions to counterbalance the ongoing system changes, with potential to reduce cargo transportation. Here we show that the navigability of the MRS has reduced since 1963, especially in the lower part of the basin, and that navigation without operational restrictions has also become more fragmented. Our study aims to provide basic information toward the development of strategies to mitigate potential negative effects in the U.S. navigation sector and potential future disruptions in the global supply chain. We have analyzed the navigability of the Mississippi River System (MRS) since 1963The MRS navigability has reduced and become more fragmented in recent decades, especially in response to generally higher water levels

Automated summary

The navigability of the Mississippi River System (MRS) has reduced and become more fragmented since 1963, especially in the lower part of the basin. High water levels, rather than low water levels, are the main cause of navigability issues. This study provides basic information for developing strategies to mitigate potential negative effects in the U.S. navigation sector and potential future disruptions in the global supply chain.