The past few years have wreaked havoc on the infrastructure of the Missouri River. The waterway is a vital route for moving goods, including grain and other Ag products, around the country. Now the Army Corps of Engineers is looking at options to improve shipping traffic on a river that needs as much help as it can get.
Colonel William Hannan is Commander of the Kansas City District of the Corps of Engineers. He says the past three years have taken a heavy toll on the Missouri River system. With water levels only recently returning to normal, they are seeing a lot of what they call ?shoaling.? That means there are many low spots in the river. Hannan says Agriculture depends heavily on dependable navigation of the waterway.
Hannan says getting the waterway improved will go a long way in helping the relationship between the Corps of Engineers and farmers. That relationship has taken a beating the past few years. Hannan says he is making it a priority to repair that relationship.
The Corps of Engineers is making necessary repairs to damaged structures and conducting detailed surveys to locate other problem areas.
