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Mid-Mississippi River Officially Opens for Navigation Following Committee Decision

Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 10:05 AM

The National Grain and Feed Association has officially announced the Mid-Mississippi River is open for commercial navigation as of Thursday morning. The decision came after a special three-person committee confirmed an empty cargo barge reached Dubuque, Iowa, meeting the requirements under NGFA trade regulations.

The National Grain and Feed Association announced Thursday morning that the Mid-Mississippi River has officially opened for commercial navigation, effective at 7 a.m. on March 19.

According to NGFA Barge Freight Trading Rule 18(J), the waterway opening is triggered when specific conditions are met: “The Dubuque and South (Mid-Mississippi) opening commences the first 07:00 hours of the first business day after the first empty dry cargo covered barge suitable for loading, originating at or below Winfield, Mo., reaches Dubuque, Iowa. The Mid-Miss opening shall be determined by a majority vote of a three-person committee appointed by the NGFA Chairman and shall be announced by publishing the committee’s confirmation of the opening on the NGFA website.”

The specialized committee made their official determination after the MV John R. Operle arrived in Dubuque at 4:30 p.m. on March 18, carrying at least one empty dry cargo covered barge (T 13719) ready for loading operations. The three-member panel consisted of Jeff Webb from Cargill serving as Chair, Dan Patterson representing ADM/Artco, and Matt Tomayko from Ingram Barge.

This seasonal opening marks an important milestone for agricultural shipping along the nation’s river system, following NGFA’s established protocols for determining when conditions are suitable for commercial barge traffic.

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