A Reliable Waterway System Is 

Important to Agriculture

A publication of the Agricultural Marketing Service • www.ams.usda.gov/services/transportation-analysis • OCTOBER 2018

Overview

● Estimated fiscal 2018 HMT receipts and 

investment interest are $1.7 billion, and 

Congressional appropriations from the HMTF 

are $1.4 billion, yielding an estimated year-end 

balance of $9.3 billion.8

● Commercial vessels engaged in waterborne 

transportation on the inland waterways system 

generate revenues and investment interest from 

a 29 cents per gallon tax on diesel fuel, which is 

deposited in the Inland Waterways Trust Fund 

(IWTF) to finance one half the Federal costs of 

authorized locks and dams projects.9

● Estimated fiscal 2018 IWTF receipts, are $106 

million, and Congressional appropriations are at 

least $332.5 million, making use of all estimated 

annual revenues from the IWTF; plus additional 

balances.10 

● U.S. agriculture is expected to contribute $19.5 

billion to the U.S. balance of trade in fiscal 2018.1

● Exports are forecast to reach $144 billion, while 

imports are forecast to reach $124.5 billion. 2

● Forestry and fishery products, and critical farm 

inputs such as fertilizer, feed, and fuel move on 

the waterway system as well.3

● Exports are responsible for 20 percent of U.S. 

farm income, also driving rural economic activity 

and supporting more than one million American 

jobs on and off the farm.4 

● In calendar year 2017, 70 percent of U.S. 

agricultural exports, 150.9 million metric tons 

valued at $90.5 billion, and 70 percent of 

agricultural imports, 46.2 million metric tons 

valued at $63 billion, were waterborne.5 

● Exporters, importers, and domestic shippers 

depend on authorized port and waterway depths 

and widths, and locks and dam infrastructure.6

● The Harbor Maintenance Tax (HMT) is a 0.125 

percent ad valorem tax on the value of imports 

and certain domestic waterborne cargo 

deposited in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund 

(HMTF).7
2 • A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture

Grain Exports

 Corn—2.4 billion bushels (61.6 million metric 

tons)

 Soybeans—2.1 billion bushels (60 million 

metric tons)

 Wheat—901 million bushels (24.5 million 

metric tons

 Soybean meal—14.4 million short tons (13.1 

million metric tons)

 Rice—87 million hundredweight (3.9 million 

metric tons)

 Sorghum—205 million bushels (5.2 million 

metric tons)

 Soybean oil—2.5 billion pounds (1.1 million 

metric tons)

Grains Inspected and/or Weighed for Export by Region and Port Area, 2017, % of Total Metric Tons

Great Lakes

1.3%

Atlantic

1.4%

Mississippi River Gulf

47.8%

Texas Gulf

8.7%

East Gulf

0.4%

Interior

11.9%

Pacific Northwest

28.4%

*136.5 million metric tons

● For the 2017/18 marketing year, the United 

States is projected to export 27 percent of the 

grain it produced. This will include 56 percent 

of the sorghum, 52 percent of the wheat, 49 

percent of the rice, 48 percent of the soybeans, 

and 17 percent of the corn.11 

● Mississippi River, Texas Gulf, and East Gulf ports 

accounted for 57 percent of grains inspected 

and/or weighed for export in calendar year 2017, 

nearly 78 million metric tons.12

● Pacific Northwest (PNW) ports accounted for 28 

percent of grains inspected and/or weighed for 

export in 2017, nearly 39 million metric tons.13

● The September 2018 estimates for 2017/18 

marketing year exports include:14

Source: USDA AMS Federal Grain Inspection Service and Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News Division
A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture • 3

Ethanol, Corn Production, Fertilizer, and Barge Traffic

● A bushel of corn yields 2.7 gallons of ethanol and 

17.5 pounds of distillers’ grains.21

● Nearly 11.1 million metric tons of distillers’ grains 

were exported in calendar year 2017.22

● USDA estimates a corn harvested area of 82.7 

million acres in 2017/18, yielding 176.6 bushels 

per acre, with 5.6 billion bushels, or 33 percent 

of the total corn supply, to be converted to 

ethanol and by-products including distillers’ 

grains, corn gluten feed, corn gluten meal, and 

corn oil.23

● Corn is the largest user of nitrogen in terms of 

application rates per acre, total acres treated, 

and total applications.24

● The United States imported nearly 40 million 

metric tons of fertilizer in calendar year 2017. 

This included nearly 14 million metric tons of 

nitrogen.25 

● U.S. ethanol operating production at 201 

refineries is over 15.9 billion gallons per year.15

● Nearly 1.4 billion gallons of ethanol were 

exported in calendar year 2017.16

● Major multimodal ethanol terminals include 

Albany, NY, Baltimore, MD, Chicago, IL, Houston, 

TX, Linden, Newark, and Sewaren, NJ, Mount 

Vernon, IN, New Orleans, LA, Sauget, IL, 

Providence, RI, and Tampa, FL.17

● Barges move nearly 10 percent of ethanol.18 

● Over 555 million gallons of ethanol were moved 

by tanker and barge between Petroleum 

Administration for Defense Districts (PADD) in 

calendar year 2017, from PADD 2 Midwest to 

PADD 3 Gulf Coast and from PADD 3 to PADD 1C 

Lower Atlantic.19 

● Barges also move some of the fertilizer needed 

to grow corn to produce ethanol, as well as some 

of the distillers’ grains, an ethanol by-product 

used for animal feed.20

U.S. Monthly Ethanol Exports

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Thousand Gallons

2014 2015 2016 2017

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data
4 • A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture

Barge and Rail Competition

● In calendar year 2017, barges carried over 49 

million short tons of food and farm products 

downbound through Mississippi Locks 27, Ohio 

Locks and Dam 52, and Arkansas Lock and 

Dam 1.26 

● This included 25,935 grain barges with nearly 41 

million short tons of grain.27

● A total of 38,343 grain barges were unloaded in 

the New Orleans port region, showing that an 

additional 12,408 grain barges entered the river 

below these 3 locks.28 

● Railroads originate approximately 24 percent of 

U.S. grain shipments and sent 415,988 carloads, 

approximately 46.2 million short tons, to ports in 

calendar year 2017.29 

● Railroads consider barge rates and the spread 

between U.S. Gulf and Pacific Northwest ocean 

vessel freight rates, and price their services 

accordingly.30

● USDA’s Transportation of U.S. Grains, A Modal 

Share Analysis, 1978-2014 Update, shows that 

barges moved 48 percent and railroads moved 

36 percent of all grain exports in 2014.31

● Barges moved 61 percent of corn, 48 percent of 

soybeans, 33 percent of wheat, and 13 percent 

of sorghum to export grain elevators.32

● Railroads moved 27 percent of corn, 31 percent 

of soybeans, 55 percent of wheat, and 58 

percent of sorghum to export locations.33

● Studies have shown that without barge 

competition, agricultural shippers pay higher rail 

transportation costs, the farther they are from 

an inland waterway.34

Agriculturally Significant Waterways

Source: USDA AMS Transportation Services Division
A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture • 5

Top U.S. Ports for Agricultural Exports

● In calendar year 2017, U.S. bulk and 

containerized waterborne agricultural exports 

totaled 150.9 million metric tons valued at $90.5 

billion and 22 percent of this total tonnage, 34.8 

million metric tons valued at $45.1 billion were 

moved in containers.35 

● During the same period, containers were used 

to transport 7 percent of total U.S. waterborne 

grain exports, including 10 percent of U.S. grain 

exports to Asia.36

● The top five U.S. ports for bulk and containerized 

agricultural exports in 2017 were the New 

Orleans Port Region, Kalama, Tacoma, Los 

Angeles, and Seattle. In terms of containerized 

exports, the top five ports were Los Angeles, 

Long Beach, Oakland, Tacoma, and Norfolk.37

Top U.S. Ports for Waterborne Agricultural Exports, 2017

Source: PIERS, formerly known as the Port Import Export Reporting Service

New Orleans Port 

Region

47%

Kalama

7%

Tacoma

5%

Los Angeles

4%

Seattle

4%

Longview

3%

Houston

3%

Norfolk

3%

Long Beach

3%

Vancouver, WA

3%

Other

18%
6 • A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture

Top U.S. Ports for Agricultural Imports

● In calendar year 2017, U.S. bulk and 

containerized waterborne agricultural imports 

totaled 46.2 million metric tons, valued at $63 

billion and 78 percent of this total tonnage, 43.3 

million metric tons valued at $48.6 billion were 

moved in containers.38 

● The top five U.S. ports for bulk and containerized 

agricultural imports in 2017 were New York, 

Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Savannah, and Long 

Beach. In terms of containerized imports, the 

top five ports were New York, Los Angeles, Long 

Beach, Philadelphia, and Oakland.39

Top U.S. Ports for Waterborne Agricultural Imports, 2017

Source: PIERS

Harbor Channel and Inland Waterway Draft Issues

● Inadequate channel depths and widths due to 

drought and sedimentation (shoaling) can lead 

to higher transportation costs, as barges and 

vessels may be loaded to less than capacity 

because of low water.40

● The number of barges in a tow may be reduced 

to the available channel width, and one-way, 

or day time only traffic restrictions may be 

imposed.41

● In these cases, more barges and vessels, and 

additional time may be required to ship a given 

weight of commodities.42

● There have been extended periods where low 

river levels, shoaling, and reduced channel 

widths impeded grain barge movements and 

access to shallow draft ports.43

● At a 9-foot draft, a barge has 1,500 short tons of 

capacity;44 for each foot of reduced draft, the 

barge loses about 200 short tons of capacity.45

New York

19%

Philadelphia

8%

Los Angeles

6%

Savannah

5%

Long Beach

5%

Wilmington, DE

5%

Houston

5%

Oakland

4%

Baltimore

4%

New Orleans

4%

Other

35%
A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture • 7

● When harbor channels are at less than 

authorized depths, S-Class container vessels lose 

3,840 tons of cargo capacity per foot,46 Panamax 

bulk grain carriers lose 2,148 tons per foot,47 

and the largest Great Lakes vessels lose almost 

3,200 tons per foot.48

● Low water on the Great Lakes and unfunded 

dredging requirements increased the risk of 

vessel groundings, reduced vessel carrying 

capacity by at least 10 percent, and increased 

shipping costs by $40 million a year in 2012-13.49 

Effects of Temporary Closures on Costs, Receipts, and 

the Federal Budget

● U.S. exporters compete based on world prices.50

● Temporary closures and restrictions on traffic in 

harbors and channels due to high water, debris 

after storms, drought, shoaling, groundings, 

natural disasters, man-made disasters, 

slowdowns, strikes, and lockouts can lead to 

congestion, delays, spoilage, diversion to other 

modes and ports, higher transportation costs, 

reduced farm income, and lost sales.51 52 53 54

● Higher transportation costs can result in lower 

cash bids in interior markets.55

● U.S. exporters may be unable to pass on higher 

transportation costs, as customers can purchase 

similar products from other countries.56

● In contrast, U.S. importers may be able to 

pass on higher transportation costs to their 

customers.57 58

● Users of railroads and highways face congestion, 

constrained capacity, and driver and equipment 

shortages.59 60 61

● Authorized channel depths and widths, and 

locks and dams maintained by the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers (Corps) moderate the effects 

of congestion, provide resiliency, and enhance 

recovery after transportation disruptions.62

● The Corps works to maintain operable navigation 

channels through accelerated dredging, rock 

removal, river training structures to remove 

sediment, strategic management of water 

releases from reservoirs, routinely scheduled 

surveys, and close collaboration with channel 

users and the U.S. Coast Guard on river 

conditions.63

● Important partners in a reliable waterway system 

include:

 U.S. Coast Guard, which provides security, aids 

to navigation, and implements vessel traffic 

safety restrictions.64

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration which provides nautical charts 

and maps, marine weather and river level 

information, surveys after disruptions, and 

marine debris removal.65

 Maritime Administration which promotes 

the development and maintenance of an 

adequate, well-balanced, United States 

merchant marine and marine highways. 

 Saint Lawrence Seaway Development 

Corporation which promotes use of the 

Seaway and maintains and operates the 

two U.S. Seaway locks and vessel traffic 

control in areas of the St. Lawrence River 

and Lake Ontario, in collaboration with its 

Canadian partner, the St. Lawrence Seaway 

Management Corporation. 

 Federal Maritime Commission which regulates 

oceanborne transportation in U.S. foreign 

commerce for the benefit of exporters, 

importers, and the American consumer. 
8 • A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture

Want to Know More? Try These Publications:

Studies, statements, legislation, and reports on modal share, competition, and multimodal 

infrastructure investment

Salin, Delmy. Brazil Soybean Transportation Indicator Reports. September 6, 2018. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Agricultural 

Marketing Service. Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Brazil2ndQuarter2018.pdf

Salin, Delmy. Soybean Transportation Guide: Brazil 2017. September 2018. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural 

Marketing Service. Web.https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/BrazilGuide2017.pdf

Economic Impacts of Maritime Shipping in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Region. July 2018. Martin Associates.

http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/pdf/eco_impact_full.pdf

Impact on Crops and Product Export Flows of Dredging the Lower Mississippi River to 50 Feet. Informa Economics 

(Prepared for Soy Transportation Coalition). May 2018. Web.

http://www.soytransportation.org/newsroom/STCLowerMississippiRiver50-FootDraftStudy.pdf

Predictable Funding for Locks and Dams. Texas A&M Transportation Institute. (Prepared for Soy Transportation Coalition). 

April 2018. Web.

http://www.soytransportation.org/newsroom/PredictableFundingForLocksAndDams_FinalReport-4-16-18.pdf

Mississippi River Ship Channel, Gulf to Baton Rouge, LA. Integrated General Reevaluation Report And Supplemental 

Environmental Impact Statement. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mississippi Valley Division. New Orleans District. 

Final Report Update. April 2018. http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Portals/56/docs/Projects/Miss%20Deep/01_MRSC_

Main%20Report.pdf

Legislative Outline for Rebuilding Infrastructure in America. The White House. February 12, 2018. Web. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/INFRASTRUCTURE-211.pdf

“Top 10 Most Wanted List” of Infrastructure Priorities. Summary Document. Soy Transportation Coalition. 

January 29, 2018. Web. http://www.soytransportation.org/newsroom/PressRelease-Top10MostWantedList(1-29-18).pdf

Salin, Delmy, United States–South America Ocean Grain Freight Spreads (Summary), U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Marketing Service, January 2018. Web. http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS213.01-2018

Federal Freight Policy: In Brief. Congressional Research Service. R44367. December 21, 2017. Web.

https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20171221_R44367_b51e2043595f5b0f21b1858aa2aa3ecb10d9b435.pdf

Gastelle, Jesse, Peter Caffarelli, Kuo-Liang “Matt” Chang, and Nick Marathon. Transportation of U.S. Grains: A Modal 

Share Analysis, October 2017. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Web.

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/ModalOctober2017.pdf

How Much Do Exports Matter? Evaluating the Economic Contributions of U.S. Grain Exports on State and Congressional 

District Economies. Informa Economics (prepared for U.S. Grains Council and National Corn Growers Association) 

September 2017.

Web. http://ec2-50-19-246-156.compute-1.amazonaws.com/US_Grains/Reports/National/USGC-USA%20Report.pdf

National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. NASDA Policy Statement. 10.1. Agricultural Transportation. 

September 19, 2017. 

Web. https://www.nasda.org/policy/nasda-policy-statements/agriculture-infrastructure#agriculture-transportation

Inland Harbors: The Corps of Engineers Should Assess Existing Capabilities to Better Inform Dredging Decisions. GAO-17-

635. Government Accountability Office. July 26, 2017. https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/686127.pdf
A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture • 9

Chang, Kuo-Liang “Matt” and Peter A. Cafferelli, Jesse Gastelle, and April Taylor. Inland Ports Help Reduce Traffic 

Congestion. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Grain Transportation Report. May 18, 2017. Web. 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/GTR051817.pdf#page=2

Taylor, April, Profiles of the Top U.S. Agricultural Ports. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, 

April 2017. Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/PortProfiles2017.pdf

U.S. Department of Transportation. Beyond Traffic: 2045 Final Report. System Implications. Marine. pp. 172-176. January 

2017. Web. https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/BeyondTraffic_tagged_508_final.pdf

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Investment Program Action Team. Inland and Intracoastal Waterways Twenty-Year Capital 

Investment Strategy. March 2016. Web.

https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/Portals/70/docs/IWUB/WRRDA_2014_Capital_Investment_Strategy_Final_31Mar16.pdf

Transportation Research Board. Special Report 315. Funding and Managing the U.S. Inland Waterways System: What 

Policymakers Need to Know. 2015. Web. http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/172741.aspx

U.S. Container Port Congestion and Related International Supply Chain Issues: Causes, Consequences and Challenges. 

Federal Maritime Commission. July 2015. Web. https://www.fmc.gov/assets/1/Page/PortForumReport_FINALwebAll.pdf

Disruptions to navigation and temporary closures 

Marathon, Nick and Kuo-Liang “Matt” Chang. Flooding Disrupts Barge Traffic and Raises Rates. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Marketing Service. Grain Transportation Report. March 15, 2018. Web.

http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS056.03-15-2018

The Impacts of Unscheduled Lock Outages. Submitted to the National Waterways Foundation and the U.S. Maritime 

Administration by the Center for Transportation Research, the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt Engineering Center 

for Transportation and Operational Resiliency, Vanderbilt University. October 2017. Web.

https://www.marad.dot.gov/wp-content/uploads/pdf/low-res-Lock-Outage-NWF_FINAL_REPORT-2017-002.pdf

Marathon, Nick and Kuo-Liang “Matt” Chang. Low Water Impacts on Barge Navigation. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Marketing Service. Grain Transportation Report. October 5, 2017. Web. 

https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/GTR100517.pdf#page=2

Yu, T.E, B.C. English and R.J. Menard. Economic Impacts Analysis of Inland Waterway Disruption on the Transport of Corn 

and Soybeans. Staff Report #AE16-08. Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee. 

September 2016. Web. 

https://ag.tennessee.edu/arec/Documents/publications/EconomicImpactsInlandWaterwaysDisruptions092016.pdf

Washington Council on International Trade. The Economic Costs of the 2014-2015 West Coast Port Slowdown on 

Washington State. February 22, 2016. Web.

https://wsfb.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WCIT-Port-Delay-Economic-Impact-Report.pdf

Did the West Coast Port Dispute Contribute to the First-Quarter GDP Slowdown? Amiti, Mary, Tyler Bodine-Smith, 

Michele Cavallo, and Logan Lewis. Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Liberty Street Economics. IFDP Notes. July 2, 2015. 

Web. http://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2015/07/did-the-west-coast-port-dispute-contribute-to-the-firstquarter-gdp-slowdown.html

Higher transportation costs, lower cash bids

Caffarelli, Peter and Adam Sparger, Analysis of Grain Basis Behavior during Transportation Disruptions (Summary), U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, November 2017. Web.

http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS215.11-2017
10 • A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture

Endnotes

NOTE:

Consistent with established practices, this report only considers those trade actions which are in place or have had 

formal announcement of effective dates as of the time of publication of the monthly World Agricultural Supply and 

Demand Estimates on September 12, 2018 and the quarterly Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade on August 29, 2018. 

Further, unless a formal end date is specified, this report also assumes such actions are in place throughout the time 

period covered by these forecasts.

1 Cooke, Bryce and Hui Jiang and Kari Heerman. Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade, AES-105. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Economic Research Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, August 29, 2018. Web. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/

publications/89999/aes-105.pdf?v=0

2

 Ibid.

3 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Navigation Data Center, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. Web.

https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/about/technical-centers/wcsc-waterborne-commerce-statistics-center/

4 Sec. Perdue: U.S. Farm Exports Hit 3rd Highest Level on Record, Press Release No. 0149.17. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

November 11, 2017. 

Web. https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2017/11/16/sec-perdue-us-farm-exports-hit-3rd-highest-level-record

5 Calculated by USDA using data obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce,

https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/default.aspx, and PIERS https://ihsmarkit.com/products/piers.html, a brand name of a 

service formerly known as the Port Import Export Reporting Service.

6 Study of Rural Transportation Issues, Chapter 12: Barge Transportation (pdf) and Chapter 14: Ocean Transportation 

(pdf). U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and U.S. Dept. of Transportation, April 2010. Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/

transportation-analysis/rti

7

 Corps of Engineers—Civil Works, Appendix, The Budget for Fiscal Year 2019. The White House, February 12, 2018. Web. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/21_Corps_508.pdf

8 Ibid.; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018. H.R. 1625. PL 115-141. Division D—Water Development and Related 

Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018, Title I, Corps of Engineers—Civil, Department of the Army. March 23, 2018. Web.

https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr1625/BILLS-115hr1625enr.pdf; Explanatory Statement—Division D. Web. https://

docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20180319/DIV%20D%20EW%20SOM%20FY18-OMNI.OCR.pdf; FY 2018 Omnibus Energy 

and Water One Pager. 

Web. https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/03.21.18_fy18_omnibus_-_energy_and_water_-_one_pager.pdf

9 Corps of Engineers—Civil Works. The Budget for Fiscal Year 2019. The White House. February 12, 2018. Web. https://

www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/coe-fy2019.pdf.

10 Ibid.; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018. H.R. 1625. PL 115-141. Division D—Water Development and Related 

Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018, Title I, Corps of Engineers—Civil, Department of the Army. March 23, 2018. Web. 

https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr1625/BILLS-115hr1625enr.pdf; Explanatory Statement—Division D.

Web. https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20180319/DIV%20D%20EW%20SOM%20FY18-OMNI.OCR.pdf; FY 2018 
A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture • 11

Omnibus Energy and Water One Pager. Web. https://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/03.21.18_fy18_

omnibus_-_energy_and_water_-_one_pager.pdf

11 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, WASDE – 581. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Office of the Chief 

Economist, Agricultural Marketing Service, Farm Service Agency, Economic Research Service, and Foreign Agricultural 

Service, September 12, 2018. Web.https://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/wasde0918.pdf

12Annual Grains Inspected and/or Weighed for Export by Region and Port Area, January 2017 – December 2017, 

WA_GR152. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News 

Division and Federal Grain Inspection Service, January 16, 2018. 

Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/wa_gr152.txt

13 Ibid.

14 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, WASDE – 581. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Office of the Chief 

Economist, Agricultural Marketing Service, Farm Service Agency, Economic Research Service, and Foreign Agricultural 

Service, September 12, 2018. Web. https://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/wasde0918.pdf

15 Ethanol Biorefinery Locations. Renewable Fuels Association. September 20, 2018. Web. http://www.ethanolrfa.org/

resources/biorefinery-locations/

16 U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data compiled on the Global Agricultural Trade System by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Foreign Agricultural Service. Web. https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/default.aspx

17 OPIS/STALSBY Petroleum Terminal Encyclopedia, 2018 edition. Oil Price Information Service. Web. https://www.

opisnet.com/product/directories/opisstalsby-petroleum-terminal-encyclopedia/

18 Ethanol Production and Distribution. U.S. Dept. of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center. Web. https://www.afdc.

energy.gov/fuels/ethanol_production.html

19 Table 59: Movements of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products by Tanker and Barge Between PAD Districts. Petroleum 

Supply Monthly. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Web. https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/monthly/

20U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Navigation Data Center. Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center. Web. 

https://www.iwr.usace.army.mil/about/technical-centers/wcsc-waterborne-commerce-statistics-center/

21 Biofuels Data Sources, Conversion Factors, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, January 5, 2018. Web. 

https://www.ers.usda.gov/about-ers/partnerships/strengthening-statistics-through-the-icars/biofuels-data-sources/

22 U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data compiled on the Global Agricultural Trade System by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Foreign Agricultural Service. Web. https://apps.fas.usda.gov/gats/default.aspx

23 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, WASDE – 581. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Office of the Chief 

Economist, Agricultural Marketing Service, Farm Service Agency, Economic Research Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, 

September 12, 2018. Web. https://www.usda.gov/oce/commodity/wasde/wasde0918.pdf. 
12 • A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture

24 Ribaudo, Marc, Michael Livingston, and James Williamson. Nitrogen Management on U.S. Corn Acres, 2001-10, EB20. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, November 2012. Web. https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/

publications/42865/33561_eb20.pdf?v=41228

25 U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data compiled on the Global Agricultural Trade System by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Foreign Agricultural Service. Web. https://www.fas.usda.gov/databases/global-agricultural-trade-system-gats

26 Lock Performance Monitoring System, Tonnage Report. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Web. http://corpslocks.usace.

army.mil/lpwb/f?p=121:1:0. Mississippi River Locks 27, also known as Chain of Rocks Locks, Granite City, IL, is the last 

lock for downbound barges on the Mississippi River. For purposes of measuring downbound tonnages on the Ohio River, 

the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers collects data at Locks and Dam 52, Brookport, IL, because it is strategically located 

on the Ohio River near the junction of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. Locks and Dam 53, Grand Chain, IL, is 

technically the last lock on the Ohio River. Arkansas River Lock and Dam 1, also known as Norrell Lock, Tichnor, AR, is the 

last lock on the Arkansas River, but traffic must use the White River to connect with the Mississippi River. On the White 

River, Montgomery Point Lock and Dam, near Tichnor, AR, is used only during low water conditions.

27 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Grain Transportation Report. Table 10. Barge Grain 

Movements (1,000 tons). April 26, 2018. Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/GTR04262018.pdf

28 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Grain Transportation Report. Figure 12. Grain Barges for 

Export in New Orleans Region. April 26, 2018. Web. http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS056.04-26-2018.

29 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Grain Transportation Report. Table 3. Rail Deliveries to Port 

(carloads). April 26, 2018. Web. http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS056.04-26-2018.

30 Study of Rural Transportation Issues, Chapter 6: Rail Competition and its Importance to Agriculture (pdf). U.S. Dept. 

of Agriculture and U.S. Dept. of Transportation, April 2010. Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/transportationanalysis/rti.

31 Gastelle, Jesse, Peter Caffarelli, Kuo-Liang “Matt” Chang, and Nick Marathon. Transportation of U.S. Grains: A Modal 

Share Analysis, October 2017. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/

sites/default/files/media/ModalOctober2017.pdf

32 Ibid.

33 Ibid.

34 Study of Rural Transportation Issues, Chapter 6: Rail Competition and its Importance to Agriculture (pdf). U.S. Dept. of 

Agriculture and U.S. Dept. of Transportation, April 2010. 

Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/transportation-analysis/rti

35 Calculated by USDA using data obtained from PIERS https://ihsmarkit.com/products/piers.html, a brand name of a 

service formerly known as the Port Import Export Reporting Service.

36 Ibid.

37 Ibid.

38 Ibid.
A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture • 13

39 Ibid.

40Marathon, Nick and Kuo-Liang “Matt” Chang. Low Water Impacts on Barge Navigation. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Marketing Service. Grain Transportation Report. October 5, 2017. Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/

default/files/media/GTR100517.pdf#page=2

41 Ibid.

42 Ibid.

43 Inland Harbors: The Corps of Engineers Should Assess Existing Capabilities to Better Inform Dredging Decisions. GAO17-635. Government Accountability Office. July 26, 2017. Web. https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/686127.pdf

44 Barge and Towboat Facts. Coosa-Alabama River Improvement Association, Inc. Web. http://www.caria.org/barge-andtowboat-facts/

45 Draft Table, Cargo In Short Tons. FMT Dry Cargo. October 14, 2014. Web. http://fmtdrycargo.com/wp-content/

uploads/2015/07/B0207-212.pdf

46America’s Ports and Intermodal Transportation System. U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Maritime Administration. January 

2009. Web. http://www.glmri.org/downloads/Ports&IntermodalTransport.pdf

47 Ibid.

48 Dredging Crisis. Lake Carriers’ Association. News and Issues. Position Papers. January 11, 2018. Web. http://www.

lcaships.com/category/position-papers/

49 2012-13 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Basin Common Operating Picture. April 29, 2013. PowerPoint 

presentation.

50USDA Agricultural Projections to 2027. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Office of the Chief Economist, World Agricultural 

Outlook Board. Prepared by the Interagency Agricultural Projections Committee. Long-term Projections Report OCE2018-1, 117 pp. February 2018. Web. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=87458

51Caffarelli, Peter and Adam Sparger, Analysis of Grain Basis Behavior during Transportation Disruptions (Summary), U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, November 2017. Web. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/

default/files/media/AnalysisofGrainBasisBehaviorTransportationDisruptionsSummary.pdf

52Marathon, Nick and Kuo-Liang “Matt” Chang. Flooding Disrupts Barge Traffic and Raises Rates. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Marketing Service. Grain Transportation Report. March 15, 2018. Web. http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS056.03-

15-2018

53 “Effects on Agriculture of a Closure of West Coast Port Facilities,” United States District Court for the Northern District 

of California, San Francisco Headquarters, United States of America, Plaintiff, v. Pacific Maritime Association, and 

International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Defendants, Declaration of Ann M. Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture, 

October 7, 2002.

54 Did the West Coast Port Dispute Contribute to the First-Quarter GDP Slowdown? Amiti, Mary, Tyler Bodine-Smith, 

Michele Cavallo, and Logan Lewis. Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Liberty Street Economics. IFDP Notes. July 2, 2015. 

Web.
14 • A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture

http://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2015/07/did-the-west-coast-port-dispute-contribute-to-the-first-quartergdp-slowdown.html

55 Caffarelli, Peter and Adam Sparger, Analysis of Grain Basis Behavior during Transportation Disruptions (Summary), U.S. 

Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, November 2017. Web. http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS215.11-2017

56 Caffarelli, Peter and Adam Sparger, Recent Grain Disappearance Suggests Increased Demand for Truck Transportation, 

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Grain Transportation Report. February 1, 2018. 

Web. http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS056.02-01-2018

57 Rehkamp, Sarah and Patrick Canning. Accounting for Direct and Embedded Imports in the U.S. Food and Beverage 

Dollar. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. Amber Waves. July 6, 2015. Web.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2015/july/accounting-for-direct-and-embedded-imports-in-the-us-food-andbeverage-dollar/

58 U.S. Department of Transportation. Beyond Traffic: 2045 Final Report. January 2017. Web. 

https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/BeyondTraffic_tagged_508_final.pdf

59 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Missions, Civil Works, Navigation. Web.

http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Navigation/

60 Ibid

61 U.S. Coast Guard, Missions, Marine Transportation System Management Program. Web.

https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/Marine-TransportationSystems-CG-5PW/

62 U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, About Our Agency. 

Web. http://www.noaa.gov/about-our-agency

63U.S. Dept. of Transportation. Maritime Administration. About Us. Web. https://www.marad.dot.gov/about-us/

64 U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, About Us. Web.

https://www.seaway.dot.gov/about/what-does-slsdc-do/

65 Federal Maritime Commission. About the Federal Maritime Commission.

 Web. https://www.fmc.gov/about/about_fmc.aspx

Preferred Citation

McGregor, Brian. A Reliable Waterway System Is Important to Agriculture. October 2018. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 

Agricultural Marketing Service. Web. <http://dx.doi.org/10.9752/TS050.10-2018>

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