The mighty Mississippi River cuts the United States essentially in half from Northern Minnesota all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It has a lot of history and romance around its waters, and is also one of America’s most important routes for commerce. More than 1 trillion pounds of goods travel down the river each year.

But, as water levels have dropped significantly in key parts of the river, it’s stopped some ships cold. The river is now backed up with billions of dollars of corn, wheat, fertilizer and steel, waiting for water levels to rise again. What happens when one of the most important rivers in the world’s largest economy can’t keep a boat afloat?

Michael Hirtzer, an agriculture reporter for Bloomberg in Chicago, joins this episode to answer that question. Wes also checks in with Captain E. Michael Bopp, a Mississippi River pilot and President of the Crescent River Port Pilot Association, and Clint Willson, Director of the LSU Center for River Studies,. for more on what it’s like to work on and study this critical river.

Learn more about this story here: https://bloom.bg/3ToEljC

Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK

Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.

The mighty Mississippi River cuts the United States essentially in half from Northern Minnesota all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It has a lot of history and romance around its waters, and is also one of America’s most important routes for commerce. More than 1 trillion pounds of goods travel down the river each year.
But, as water levels have dropped significantly in key parts of the river, it’s stopped some ships cold. The river is now backed up with billions of dollars of corn, wheat, fertilizer and steel, waiting for water levels to rise again. What happens when one of the most important rivers in the world’s largest economy can’t keep a boat afloat?
Michael Hirtzer, an agriculture reporter for Bloomberg in Chicago, joins this episode to answer that question. Wes also checks in with Captain E. Michael Bopp, a Mississippi River pilot and President of the<a href="https://www.crescentpilots.com/crescent-pilots"> Crescent River Port Pilot Association</a>, and <a href="https://sites01.lsu.edu/faculty/cwillson/">Clint Willson</a>, Director of the <a href="https://lsu.edu/river/">LSU Center for River Studie</a>s,. for more on what it’s like to work on and study this critical river.
Learn more about this story here: <a href="https://bloom.bg/3ToEljC">https://bloom.bg/3ToEljC</a>
Listen to The Big Take podcast every weekday and subscribe to our daily newsletter: <a href="https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK">https://bloom.bg/3F3EJAK</a> 
Have questions or comments for Wes and the team? Reach us at bigtake@bloomberg.net.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

The Mighty Mississippi Is Backed Up

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dd0d1798-038e-4d69-845b-af4801674de6/transcript

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