Mile 103.1 - 103.1 - 103 RBD Cargill Westwego Grain Transfer

103.1 - 103 RBD Cargill Westwego Grain Transfer

Cargill Westwego is one of the last giant grain transfer conglomerates on the Lower Miss, and is a monstrous operation involving endless lines of barges bringing the grains in from the heartland and endless lines of freighters carrying those same grains outwards to the world market. The conveyor belts, elevators, cranes and other apparatus of Cargill Westwego creates a kaleidoscope of colors, lines and angles, often covered in flowing clouds of soybean, corn or wheat dust. This Cargill grain terminal features 4 loading spouts in lower berth section, 2 load spouts in upper berth section, and a 4,300,000 bushel capacity.

Smaller Tows from Here on Downstream

Below Kenner the size of the Mississippi River tows gets smaller and smaller as they discharge their loads, get fleeted, new tows made, and barges recombined for return journey upstream. There are some exceptions, of course, (Cargill Westwego Grainery) but by and large you have now paddled past the big graineries and ditto for most of the power plants. ADM/Growmark Ama is one of the last giant grain transfer conglomerates on the Lower Miss. Hence, the sprawling tows of 24, 35, or 42 barges, or more, ferrying grain or coal, that you have learned to paddle around on the Lower Miss, are seldom seen below Kenner.

Paddlers beware: this does not mean the river is any safer or easier to navigate! There will be less big tows, but guess what? You will also now be sharing the river with more and more freighters! Their speed limit increases as result. They will be moving slightly faster than they did upstream, and making bigger waves, and pushing a bigger water displacement. And the freighters will be joined by the gargantuan container ships. (And below the French Quarter in New Orleans, some skyscraper-sized cruise ships). You will also paddle alongside more and more tows with smaller barge combinations, from 1 to 6 barges. Most will be ferrying petrochemicals to and fro, and making side trips up and down the various access canals to the Intracoastal Waterway, and from there running to industrial locations east and west along the Texas/Louisiana/Mississippi/Alabama/Florida coastline of the northern Gulf of Mexico.