{"id":9270,"date":"2024-01-10T22:50:24","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T21:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=9270"},"modified":"2024-01-10T22:50:24","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T21:50:24","slug":"is-barge-traffic-decreasing-on-the-mississippi-river-chart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/is-barge-traffic-decreasing-on-the-mississippi-river-chart\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Barge Traffic Decreasing On The Mississippi River Chart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Boating and barge traffic on the Mississippi River has been in decline for many decades. This is due to a multitude of reasons, ranging from economic factors, to modern advancements in transportation technology and governmental policy changes. Various experts have weighed in on this topic to explain and analyze the causes for this decline. <\/p>\n

Eddy and Yamane, authors of the book The Changing Geography of the Mississippi River and its Impact on Barge Traffic<\/i>, highlight how the introduction of new transportation technologies and trade relations have drastically altered the shape of the Mississippi River waterway. According to them, new and improved highways and railways have increased the transportation of goods and materials, which in effect has reduced the importance of barges and rivers. Consequently, this reduction in usage of the river has led to a decline in barge traffic.<\/p>\n

Another factor contributing to the decline in barge traffic is the diminishing barge sizes. According to Economy, a trade expert and author of an article entitled The Decimation of Barge Traffic on the Mississippi River<\/i>, the average size of barges has decreased drastically in the past decades. In the 1950s and 60s, the average barge size was about 500 tonnes. However, recent advancements in the technology and size of ships have diminished the necessity for large barges, and with it, the demand for barge traffic in the Mississippi River.<\/p>\n

In addition to the technological advancements, there have been various demands from environmentalists. According to Markham, an environmental consultant, in order to protect the river from pollution, the government has put in place severe regulations for barges operating within the Mississippi basin. These regulations require barges to meet certain safety standards, which in turn reduces the usage of the river and makes it less profitable to businesses and other operators. Consequently, fewer companies are investing in barge traffic, causing a decline in the number of barges travelling along this route.<\/p>\n