Page 35: of Marine News Magazine (November 2021)

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Feature

Inland Waterways below normal rainfall,” Wilmsmeyer wrote in an email. “We are facing low water now which could lead to real navigation issues in the next three months if no signi? cant precipitation comes.”

Steenhoek noted that low water has been somewhat offset by the Army Corps’ strong dredging program. “We’re ben- e? ting today,” he said, “because of good work done earlier.”

COVID and labor “Companies are unfortunately ? nding COVID a bigger challenge now than any other time,” Jennifer Carpenter commented, without hesitation, when asked about water- ways challenges. Carpenter is President and CEO of the

American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national ad- vocate for the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry. “COVID is not in the rearview mirror,” she emphasized.

Carpenter said the Delta variant has been challenging.

Vaccination policies have been dif? cult to implement.

Even where there has been some success, she noted, it has

ACP taken an inordinate amount of work and resources.

“Flows out of reservoirs

COVID is intertwined, Carpenter added, with a sec- ond challenge: ? nding employees. Carpenter said that into the river system are staf? ng, ensuring reserves and resiliency in work crews are the issues “keeping people up at night.” Many industries declining at a time when are experiencing labor shortages, but the special arrange- ments required for waterways personnel—including days the upper Midwest has and weeks away from home and family—can weigh more experienced below normal heavily now against choosing a maritime career, or staying with it, versus a land-based job.

rainfall. . . We are facing

Wilmsmeyer, too, commented that “like nearly every business in the U.S. today, employment shortage on the low water now which could inland river system is one of the largest challenges and could remain a concern for the foreseeable future.” Work- lead to real navigation er availability will impact the degree to which “the inland waterways can pivot” to handle the economy’s constantly issues in the next three increasing need to move cargo. He commented further months if no signi? cant that “the demand to move products by barge is there and growing, but we need to be able to make sure the people precipitation comes.” are in place to load and unload them.”

Marine highways – Dennis Wilmsmeyer,

Wilmsmeyer’s notion of pivoting is important. On the

Executive Director, one hand, it implies preparing for a rebound, having per-

America’s Central Port. sonnel and equipment ready to go.

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