Farmers Are Planning For Illinois River Shutdown Next Year

Farmers Are Planning For Illinois River Shutdown Next Year
August 9, 2019 Jerry Vallely
Boat

This story was originally published on NPR Illinois on August 7, 2019.


Sean Crawford | NPR Illinois


“It’s not uncommon for many Illinois farmers to ship much, or even all, of their commodities along the Illinois River.  So a plan to close the river in 2020 for lock and dam repairs could have a huge impact.

“They’re going to need to re-route, predetermine and plan to not be able to use the river for up to 4 months,” said Kirby Wagner, Assistant Director of Transportation and Infrastructure for the Illinois Farm Bureau.  The organization has been reaching out to farmers in advance with a series of meetings.

“It’s going to be a bigger problem if plans aren’t made before 2020 gets here,” he said…”

Read More