Rising water level in Lake Superior translates to larger loads at ore ports

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Rising water level in Lake Superior translates to larger loads at ore ports

The rising water level in Lake Superior translated to larger loads at iron ore ports in April, helping to offset some of the impact of deficient dredging in Great Lakes ports, harbors and channels, the Lake Carriers' Association reported.

Shipments across the lakes in April totaled six million net tons, an increase of 6.2 percent compared with last year and 3.8 percent ahead of the five-year average mark. Five of the six U.S. Great Lakes iron ore loading ports are located on Lake Superior, and the 10-inch rise in the lake's level in April led to larger cargoes for U.S.-flagged ore carriers, the LCA reported.

However, the increased water level has not erased the effects of the dredging crisis—even with a greater cargo capacity on the rising lake, a thousand-footer was loading light by more than 8,300 tons, according to the LCA.

"Realistically speaking, water levels cannot rise enough to overcome the 18 million cubic yards of sediment that are clogging the system," the LCA reported. The Army Corps of Engineers estimates $320 million will be required to restore to Great Lakes navigational system to project depths.

By the end of April, the lakes iron ore trade stood at 11.3 million tons, an increase of 9.2 percent over the same period last year and 5.4 percent above the five-year average for that time frame, the LCA reported.