Price spike pumps up shipments, eases river shutdown problem

A fortunate spike in the price of wheat has helped farmers get a step up on the looming shutdown of the Snake and Columbia River waterways.

The Army Corps of Engineers is closing the river to barge traffic for 14 weeks beginning Dec. 10 as it performs in-depth maintenance on eight dams. The Dalles dam will be closed from Dec. 10 through March 18, preventing any shipments upstream on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

While the shutdown would have otherwise put a crimp in the ability of farmers to sell this year’s crop, worldwide events paved a path for farmers to sell the crop right now.

Drought c...