Drought Threatens Crops and Shuts River in Midwest

As the worst drought since 1988 has deepened across parts of the Midwest, low-water levels are doing more than just inconveniencing gamblers. They are turning parts of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers into virtual sandbars, causing towboats and barges to run aground and delaying shipments of petroleum products, coal, chemicals, agricultural goods and road-paving materials.

The delays are threatening construction projects throughout the region, and the higher transportation costs could ultimately make this year’s harvest of corn and other crops too expensive for some international markets, commodity analysts and barge-shipping officials said.

New York Times