WINFIELD, Mo. – A group of U.S. farmer organizations has pledged $1 million toward pre-engineering and design expenses for an important component of the agricultural supply chain – Lock and Dam #25 on the Mississippi River.

“Other nations have inland waterways,” said Jonathan Miller, an Island, Ky., soybean farmer who chairs the Ankeny, Iowa-based Soy Transportation Coalition, one of seven groups supporting the move. “However, one of the reasons our inland waterways are so unique is that they are adjacent to some of the most productive farmland on the planet.

“As a result, many farmers throughout the country have close access to a marine highway that can effectively transport soybeans, grain, and other commodities to export terminals, which allows us to be so competitive,” he added. “It is therefore critical that our nation commits to the necessary investments to maintain and improve this important part of our supply chain.”

Opened in 1939, Lock and Dam #25 has already well exceeded its original 50-year lifespan. Currently the Lock and Dam has a 600-by-110-foot lock chamber. To pass through, the typical 15-barge tow has to be disassembled into two sections requiring two passes to go through which totals more than two hours. The new project would result in the construction of a new 1,200 by 110 foot lock chamber being built adjacent to the existing 600 by 110 foot lock chamber. This would allow the 15-barge tows to go through on a single pass, which is about a 30 to 45 minute process. 

Lock and Dam #25 is located approximately 50 miles upstream from St. Louis. It is the most southern lock and dam on the Mississippi River. Nearly every bushel of soybeans, corn, and other grain transported along the Mississippi River from the states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, will pass through Lock and Dam #25 enroute to export facilities near the Gulf of Mexico.

Mike Steenhoek, Soy Transportation Coalition executive director, said a second lock will provide needed resiliency and redundancy, allowing a key link in the supply chain to remain operational if one of the lock chambers was closed.

In an effort to encourage investment in the infrastructure along the Upper Mississippi River, the United Soybean Board, the Soy Transportation Coalition, the Illinois Soybean Assoc., the Iowa Soybean Assoc., the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, and the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council, have partnered together and offered $1 million to help underwrite the cost of pre-engineering and design expenses of Lock and Dam #25.

The coalition said the contribution would be contingent upon the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – the government agency responsible for maintaining locks and dams – being able to accept funding from private sector entities for such projects.

Located in Winfield, Mo., Lock and Dam #25 was opened in 1939, and is the most southern lock and 

“The river system in the United States is our lifeline, and one of U.S. Soy’s biggest advantages over our competitors,” said Meagan Kaiser, United Soybean Board farmer-leader, and Bowling Green, Mo., soybean farmer.

“It’s vital that our supply chain remains strong and reliable so we can continue to market our products and provide the most sustainable, reliable nutrient source for our customers,” she added. “Soybean farmers understand this, which is why the checkoff is working to modernize U.S. infrastructure, and return value back to the farm.”

According to a report prepared for the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Lock & Dam #25 accommodates 200 million bushels of soybeans annually. The Waterways Council, Inc., said an outage at this facility would cost nearly $1.6 billion, and increase the number of truck traffic trips by more than 500,000 annually.

Moreover, a 2016 USDA economic impact analysis had shown this lock and dam’s importance, predicting that even just a three-month shut down (September-November) would result in aggregate economic activity related to grain barge transportation declining by $933 million.

“Agricultural products comprise 70 percent of what we move through this part of the Mississippi River, so it’s significant to U.S. farmers and international customers that rely on this infrastructure to have our transportation corridor functioning,” said Andy Schimpf, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigation business line manager. “Barge transport via the lock and dam system provides the most economical, efficient and sustainable method of shipping U.S. soybeans, and other goods.”

If Lock and Dam #25 proceeds to construction, it would be the first construction project within the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program, which calls for the construction of seven new locks – five north of St. Louis on the Upper Mississippi River (#25, #24, #22, #21, and #20), and two on the Illinois River (LaGrange and Peoria).

“Many of these critical lock and dam projects along the Upper Mississippi River region have lingered for years, perpetually waiting for the necessary funding to increase their capacity and resilience,” Steenhoek said. “Farmers and other stakeholders believe it is time for Lock and Dam #25 and other priority projects to finally move from the on-deck circle to the batter’s box.”