More than half of the barge tonnage that normally moves on the Missouri River won’t be moving this year because of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s desire to severely strict the flow of water on the river during the upcoming navigation season. MEMCO Barge Line and another major barge company, Blaske Marine, have indicated they won’t operate on the Missouri River this coming barge season because of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s biological opinion. That means 55 to 60 percent of the barge traffic on the river this spring and summer would be eliminated. Farm groups are concerned over the decision and say this is exactly what they warned would happen. The announcement by the barge companies came today during a transportation meeting in Jefferson City.
