But friends of Midwest agriculture always won approval for corps projects. As a result, the Mississippi River system helped turn the Midwest from a backwater of localized agriculture into the biggest player in global grain markets. U.S. farmers in 1998 shipped 98 million tons of grains and oilseeds for export. Almost two-thirds of that went down the Mississippi and out the port of New Orleans. But the Mississippi River system designed in the 1930s hasn't kept up with the times.
Barges are larger, towboats are stronger and traffic is heavier.
Consequently, Midwest grain headed to the port of New Orleans often sits for days waiting to get through the rush. The locks themselves get much of the blame for the delays. Now the most efficient tows are 1,200 feet long. To get through one of the old locks, a modern tow has to break apart, pass through in two stages and re-form on the other side. In slow periods on the river, this barge ballet is no big deal.