Relief may be in sight for Arkansas River barges

By Associated Press

FORT SMITH — Flows on the Arkansas River are forecast to drop to the point where the Army Corps of Engineers will be able to lift a small-craft advisory on at least part of the waterway.

Like last year, barge traffic has been limited in the Arkansas River navigation system because of the speed and volume of water.

"Hopefully, by early (this) week, we may be able to lift that small craft advisory in the upper end of the river (in Arkansas), then the lower end shortly after," said P.J. Spaul, spokesman for the Little Rock District of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Freight traffic slows and sometimes stops when flows reach 140,000 to 150,000 cubic feet per second because tow boats have trouble with the current.

Marty Shell, a partner in Five Rivers Distribution, which operates an Arkansas River port facility in Van Buren and recently became the operator at the Port of Fort Smith, said the company lost $500,000 in business last year because of the heavy flows. Shell said some customers had to use other ports or other modes of transportation to get around the high water.

Other ports on the river also felt the effects. The system experienced a 19 percent drop to a total of 5.09 million tons from 6.31 million in the first six months of 2007, according to the corps' Little Rock and Tulsa districts.

Port of Little Rock director Paul Latture said the drop-off at that facility was in line with the average.

Buck Shell, a partner in Five Rivers, said in his 38 years in the business he has not seen high water like the Arkansas River has experienced the past couple of years.

In 2005 and 2006, shippers on the river had a different problem, though with a similar result of decreased freight. In 2004, the USS Razorback submarine needed to be hoisted by a pair of barges to make through the channel to North Little Rock, where it is now on display as part of an inland maritime museum.

Spaul said the small-craft advisory could remain in place if rainy weather develops.