On Tuesday, the Iowa Soybean Association?s 9th District held a meeting in Keokuk. The highlight of the meeting was a tour of Lock and Dam #19 on the Mississippi River, just above where the Des Moines River runs into the ?Father of Waters? as Abraham Lincoln called it. The Old Log Splitter?s home state was looking at us from the opposite bank. The meeting and tour attracted producers and soybean industry leaders from across the state to learn about this valuable piece of our grain shipping capabilities.
AUDIO: Full interview with Warren Bachman ISA District 8 Director
It was here that we see a vital link between power and transportation infrastructures. The Keokuk dam runs just over 120 gates, and the locks help river traffic navigate a thirty-six-foot elevation change in the river. The original lock system is a historic landmark that is preserved along with the operations structures that service the second-generation lock and dam that is itself 67 years old and bordering on its maximum lifespan. It is one of only a few aging locks that can handle larger 1,200-foot barge traffic. The only other lock is the one directly above St. Louis that was built 15 years ago.
Warren Bachman is Director of District 8 of the Iowa Soybean Association and works with the Soy Transportation Coalition. He highlights the importance of the Mississippi waterway to our export markets.
Infrastructure discussions have included the lock and dam system on the Mississippi River. Even at almost 70 years old, Lock & Dam 19 is one of the more modern facilities. Bachman talks about what would happen if we lost even just one lock system.
Keokuk can handle larger barges, but most of the 26 locks between St. Paul and St. Louis can only handle 600-foot barges. Bachman explains the delays these smaller locks cause, even in good conditions.
Bachman also talked about the dredging progress on the lower Mississippi River, and what difference just a few feet can make on the shipping traffic. It also highlights where Brazil has an advantage in exports.
The locks are only a small part of the infrastructure shortcomings. There are rails, bridges, highways, and even gravel roads that need some serious maintenance. It is through the checkoff dollars and the donations of organizations like the Iowa Soybean Association, Soy Transportation Coalition, the American Soybean Association, and the United Soybean Board that help projects like these reach their funding goals faster, even with infrastructure funding on the way from Washington.
