Corps: Low water level won't disrupt traffic on Miss. River - FOX 8 WVUE New Orleans News, Weather, Sports

FOX 8 WVUE New Orleans News, Weather, Sports

St. Louis, Mo. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claims it's winning the battle against the low Mississippi River.

The Corps says there will be no river shutdown, despite river stages running about four feet less than usual.

It appears the removal of about 890 cubic yards of limestone from the critically low waters 130 miles south of St. Louis is proving to be a success. It will make the channel two feet deeper within two to three weeks.

"During the time that the Army Corps contractors are removing rock, which is roughly 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., we gather up all the vessels that are waiting north and south" says Capt. Steve Teschendorf of the U.S. Coast Guard. "They actually do a quick survey of the area where rocks were removed and we open it up."

The effort should keep river traffic moving until river levels go up in the spring. River levels usually go up in the spring because of rain and melting snow.