Cassandra Caldwell Signs Cost-Share Agreement with USACE Little Rock District
On Friday, June 9, 2023, Arkansas Waterways Commission Director Cassandra Caldwell, USACE Little Rock District Commander Col. Damon Knarr, and others gathered at Murray Lock & Dam 7 to sign a cost-share agreement for upgrades to the tow haulage system at Murray on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS).
Tow haulage pulls split tows (3x3 barges) into the lock chamber and then to the downstream or upstream guide wall without tow boat assistance, decreasing lockage time by 2 hours per lock. There are 13 locks and dams along the Arkansas segment of the MKARNS and 5 locks and dams on the Oklahoma segment. Operational tow haulage significantly decreases transportation time and costs.
The Arkansas River Navigation System Fund (funded by a portion of the ad valorem taxes collected on barge transportation) will provide the cost-share funds for this project. The fund allows Arkansas Waterways Commission to reinvest navigation-related tax dollars into critical navigation infrastructure on the Arkansas segment of the MKARNS, and to continue working with stakeholders and federal partners to ensure the reliability of the MKARNS for future generations of Arkansans.
Learn more about Arkansas Waterways Commission here.