Lake Superior Ports
Dry-bulk cargo shipments on the Great Lakes have fell 28 percent compared to a year ago. Falling water levels and lack of adequate dredging were leading factors in the decrease. Vessels loading iron ore and coal at Lake Superior ports were most impacted by low water levels.
A vessel with a rated capacity of more than 71,000 tons of iron ore was able to take on only 59,380 tons when it loaded. The first coal cargo loaded on Lake Superior was likewise well below the vessel’s designed capacity.
The 84 percent decrease in limestone cargo is not a result of low water levels or inadequate dredging, but rather that most quarries had little stone in stockpile. For the year carriage stands at 6 million tons on U.S. ships, a decrease of 22 percent compared to the same point in 2006.
May 18, 2007 6:57 AM | Category: Boats, Lake Superior