Iowa and Louisiana Share a Serious Problem

By Paul Aucoin and Jerry Hingle, guest columnists, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Dredging the Mississippi has become an ever-greater priority because the newly expanded Panama Canal now supports the movement of the larger neo-Panamax ships. The use of these ships is growing, because larger vessels reduce transportation costs. If these new supercargo ships abandon the Louisiana port system, there is no guarantee they will return.