A new analysis from River Ecosystems, Inc. examines the history, costs, and ecological effects of navigation infrastructure on the Missouri River and argues for renewed consideration of alternative river management priorities.
Crofton, NE April 20, 2026 –(PR.com)– River Ecosystems, Inc. announced the release of an analysis by Lawrence W. Hesse examining the historical development of navigation on the Missouri River, its associated costs, and its ecological impacts.
According to the analysis, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has supported commercial navigation on the Missouri River since the 1800s. The paper reviews historical accounts of river transportation and channel modification, including Hiram Martin Chittenden’s 1903 work, The History of Steamboat Navigation on the Missouri River, which questioned the long-term economic justification for continued river navigation improvements after rail transportation expanded across the region.
The analysis states that ongoing public investment in Missouri River navigation warrants renewed review in light of current freight volumes, maintenance demands, and the condition of the river ecosystem. It also argues that the ecological and public-resource value of the river deserves greater consideration in federal river management decisions.
Drawing on freight transportation data cited from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other sources, the analysis compares annual grain movement by barge and rail in the United States and notes that the volume attributed to the Missouri River represents a relatively small share of total grain transportation.
The paper also reviews historical and more recent spending connected to the navigation channel. It cites Chief’s Annual Reports, operations and maintenance figures published by McWilliams (2025), and other public reporting regarding repair needs for river control structures. According to the analysis, maintaining the navigation channel requires continuing expenditures on rock placement, repair work, and related infrastructure, while long-term reliability challenges remain.
In addition, the report discusses the estimated value of grain transported by barge on the Missouri River and compares that value with cited estimates for annual maintenance inputs. It further states that broader public benefits associated with fisheries, wildlife, recreation, and water-related outdoor activities should be considered when evaluating river management priorities.
The analysis also references commentary on inland waterway funding policy, including arguments that users rather than taxpayers should bear a greater share of system costs. It reviews historical and revised cost-sharing frameworks under the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, WRDA 2020, and WRDA 2022. The report also notes examples of projects that were 85% funded by federal taxpayers, as well as broader infrastructure needs, including an $800 million backlog of ongoing unfunded projects, planned construction costs of over $6 billion, fiscal year 2020 operations and maintenance costs totaling $815 million, and five-year average fuel-tax revenue between 2015 and 2020 of $115 million.
A separate section of the paper addresses competition within the barge market. Citing C. Phillip Baumel’s 2008 article, The Mississippi River System Shallow Draft Barge Market – Perfect Competition or Oligopolistic?, the analysis notes that some researchers have questioned assumptions of perfect competition in barge transportation markets and have suggested that those assumptions may affect estimates of public investment benefits.
In its concluding discussion, the analysis argues that channelization and navigation-focused river management have had significant ecological consequences on the Missouri River and that alternative management approaches should be considered. According to River Ecosystems, Inc., these alternatives could include greater emphasis on habitat recovery, public land opportunities, recreation, water quality, and other ecosystem-related benefits, while maintaining other river functions such as bank stabilization, flood-related protections, and power generation.
River Ecosystems, Inc. states that the purpose of the analysis is to contribute to ongoing public discussion about the long-term economic and environmental tradeoffs associated with Missouri River navigation policy.
To read the entire news article, visit Lawrence Hesse’s LinkedIn account.
Contact Information:
River Ecosystems, Inc
Lawrence W. Hesse
402-640-7809
Contact via Email
https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-hesse-522ba1346/
Lawrence W. Hesse
Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/966008
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