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Drought stops boat traffic on Mississippi

Posted at 6:19 PM, Aug 03, 2012
and last updated 2012-08-03 18:19:44-04

Boat traffic on the Mississippi River came to a stop in two places Thursday.

Officials had to shut down a 10-mile span near Greenville, Mississippi, after a barge ran aground.

And upstream, near La Crosse, Wisconsin, the Army Corps of Engineers closed part of the river to dredge it.

The Coast Guard says this makes 24 closures in the past few weeks.

Officials say such incidents are becoming increasing common.

They say last year’s flooding created an excess of silt and other debris in places that are usually clear.

And the widespread drought isn’t helping things either.

The sweltering temperatures and lack of rain have caused the water levels to drop.