How the River System Powers Illinois Farms
Inland waterways quietly power ag exports, but they’re aging fast. Lindsay Croke talks with Thomas Heinold of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the high stakes of lock and dam maintenance, billion-dollar backlogs, and the crews working nonstop to keep grain moving.
This episode covers:
0:30 – Why locks and dams matter to ag
2:36 – Barge shipping by the numbers
4:00 – Who keeps the system moving
5:08 – Repairs, rust, and river damage
6:11 – The funding gap explained
7:25 – What Congress needs to know
9:15 – Not to Be Corny
10:30 – Final thoughts
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