Video shows how drought has reduced parts MS river to CREEK, as low levels caused 1,700 barge jam

An ongoing drought is on its way to lower the Mississippi’s water level to its lowest point in 34 years, with 1,700 barges stranded on the waterway after one ran aground.

A shocking video shows the river nearly eroded, with deep stretches of riverbed on both sides, while in parts of Tennessee small pools of water flow down the middle.

Climate experts say that if the drought continues, the Mississippi will improve on the previous record of low-water crises, set in 1988.

Weather Channel video shows a person driving what appears to be a golf cart along the dry riverbed that stretches for miles.

The drought is so bad that 1,700 barges ran aground near Vicksburg, Mississippi, over the weekend after a tugboat ran aground.

More than 20 ships and nearly 400 barges are still stuck near Stack Island on Tuesday.

That problem has now been reduced to 22 tugboats pulling a total of 392 barges, with federal officials now facing a multi-billion dollar dredging bill to try to keep river traffic moving.

The Mississippi is used to transport grain and soybeans from states that grow the essential food.

Any interruption to this freight supply could lead to shortages and drive up prices for Americans already battered by inflation.

The Mississippi Basin, which spans 1.2 million square miles across 31 states and two Canadian facilities — covering 41 percent of the contiguous U.S. — has been hit by significant drought in recent months.

And long-term forecasts predict that the unusually dry season will continue into winter, with no calm in sight.

Portions of the river are so low that it has caused a backup of 1,700 ships near Vicksburg, Mississippi (pictured Oct. 4)

Ongoing droughts affecting many western states, including those encompassing the Great Plains, have now hit the Mississippi.

Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota are among the 15 driest states this year in terms of precipitation between June and September. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, Nebraska has hit its third driest summer range this year.

These issues continue to affect the river, and if it “stays dry for the rest of the year, levels could be even worse than they were in 2012,” National Weather Service Hydrologist, Jeffrey Graschel, told the Post.

“It remains to be seen how much rain we will get in the coming month to three months.”

If the drought continues, dry conditions could surpass 2012 levels and potentially approach the severity of the 1988 low-water crisis, Graschel said.

Some parts of the river read negatively, well below normal water levels, endangering drinking water for residents whose water supply depends on the behemoth.

That’s because the force of freshwater leaving the river in the Gulf of Mexico is no longer strong enough to push back the saltwater from the Gulf itself.

In Louisiana’s Plaquemines Parish, water reaching the mouth of the river is mixed with saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the water supply. If too much saltwater is mixed, it may be necessary to take emergency action by the Army Corps of Engineers, according to the Washington Post.

On Sept. 28, parish residents were warned that their water contained higher levels of sodium and chloride and could have adverse health effects on dialysis or low-sodium diets.

The Army Corps is said to be building a sediment barrier across the river channel to help move saltwater out of the Gulf.

Now many inland vessels are stuck waiting for the water supply to rise again to be able to continue safely.

The Army Corps had to stop shipping traffic and dredge canals through the river to help pass lighter loads near Vicksburg.

Yesterday, a 24-hour dredging process began near Memphis.

The Mississippi Basin, which spans 1.2 million square miles across 31 states and two Canadian facilities — covering 41 percent of the contiguous U.S. — has been hit by significant drought in recent months.

Long-term forecasts predict that the unusually dry season will continue into winter

Dredging already costs more than $2 billion a year, and could cost even more if barges remain stranded.

However, the transportation industry says dredging is necessary to keep the supply chain moving, as 60 percent of U.S. soybean and corn production is transported through the river, as well as the rivers of Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee.

“Trade is moving, albeit very slowly,” Waterways Council senior VP Deb Calhoun told the Washington Post. “Eventually we need rain, and lots of it.”

The transportation industry has also limited the amount of cargo that can be attached to tugs from 40 to 25.