Riding a Tugboat Carrying U.S. Wheat On Its Way to Export
It is 3:00 on a brisk and overcast Tuesday afternoon, and the sun is already low in the sky. I am sitting in the galley of a tugboat — state of the art, I am told. The tugboat has all the amenities any crew would need with five staterooms, a kitchen, a washer and dryer, […]
Facts About U.S. Wheat Exports and the Columbia Snake River System
The Columbia Snake River System is the network of federal dams and locks on the Columbia River and connected water bodies, including the Snake River. This system enables grain barges to carry wheat 360 miles from Lewiston, Idaho, to export elevators as far west as Longview, Wash. In marketing years 2019/20 and 2020/21, more than […]
Moving Wheat Efficiently Through the Columbia Snake River System
In the Pacific Northwest (PNW), wheat can move by barge to export elevators from as far away as Idaho. That is because of the series of eight locks and dams that make safe, efficient navigation possible on one of the leading trade gateways in the United States — the Columbia Snake River System. The Pacific […]
How the U.S. Wheat Export System Delivers Quality and Value
Private grain companies in the U.S. wheat export system in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) overcome challenging logistics to deliver wheat that consistently meets contract specifications to buyers around the world. Grain sellers based in Gulf, Lakes and Atlantic ports operate very similar logistical systems to export wheat and other grains. We are sharing a video […]
U.S. Farm and Industry Organizations Respond to Dam Breaching Proposal
A coalition of Pacific Northwest (PNW) agricultural and commercial organizations recently responded with serious concerns to a controversial dam breaching proposal that would tear out four dams on the Snake River. The dam breaching proposal, presented by U.S. Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho, aims to restore fish populations on the river while compensating groups affected […]
Capital Press Reports on Proposal to Remove Snake River Dams
By Matthew Weaver. Reprinted from Capital Press with permission. Editor’s Note: The image at the top of this story shows the Columbia-Snake River System with wheat export loading facilities on the rivers. Blue color indicates areas of soft white wheat production, Gold color indicates hard red spring production area, and Green color indicates hard red […]
“Faces of Snake River” Campaign Targets Dam Breaching Misinformation
By Matthew Weaver. Reprinted with permission from Capital Press, www.capitalpress.com, Dec. 2, 2019 [Editor’s Note: The locks and dams on the Columbia-Snake River System are an essential infrastructure for the efficient transportation of U.S. wheat from the interior to vital export elevators serving buyers in Asia and Latin America. This article examines the effort to […]
Columbia Snake River System Has a Crucial Role in Moving Grain to Port
Early in 2019, I attended a presentation given by the Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA), Kristin Meira. In the audience were farmers eager to hear how U.S. legislators shared their interests regarding the ongoing navigability of the Columbia Snake River System. Open waterways are a crucial and efficient source for U.S. […]
PNW Vessel Delays Begin to Improve
By Steve Wirsching, USW Vice President and West Coast Office Director This winter the Pacific Northwest (PNW) has seen snowstorms and record rainfall that reduced vessel loading and inbound rail service. A slowing of rail service for just a few weeks manifested itself into long vessel lineups and loading delays of up to three to […]
USW Helping Customers Adjust to Columbia and Snake River System Upgrade
The Pacific Northwest (PNW) grain chain and U.S. wheat importers are aware that the Columbia Snake River System (CSRS) will close for extended maintenance beginning Dec. 12, 2016, and ending March 20, 2017. This will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make essential renovations to all the navigation locks on the Columbia River […]