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• Of chief concern is a pivotal 180-mile stretch of the Mississippi from St. Louis to the confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Ill., where heavy traffic includes shipments going south to the Gulf of Mexico and northbound transports head to Chicago and Minneapolis and points in between. There, the Mississippi is 15 to 20 feet below normal due to months of drought, and rock pinnacles at two southern Illinois sites could make it difficult, if not impossible, for barges to pass if the river drops much lower.
• Several Midwest lawmakers met privately with Darcy last week, asking her to analyze whether additional water from the Missouri can be released without sacrificing the corps' objectives upriver from the South Dakota dam. Darcy's letter was their answer -- and to Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, an understandable one, in that the corps is bound legislatively to be the Missouri's steward, independent of any consequences for the Mississippi.
• "She believes releasing water could threaten the Missouri River navigation in 2013. That's her technical conclusion, which is not good news for us downriver," Durbin told The Associated Press.
• Durbin said he would seek another meeting next week with Darcy, with barge operators and other Mississippi-dependent industries to attend so Darcy can "spell out to them in as much detail as possible her vision of getting through this challenge without serious disruption to the economy."
• The Mississippi's level at St. Louis was around 13 feet Friday -- about four feet above the point at which the U.S. Coast Guard has said could necessitate further barge restrictions. Previous forecasts suggested the river could dip to the 9-foot level as early as Sunday, though the weather service said this week it believes the river will stay above the 9-foot threshold until about Dec. 29.
• Two shipping-related industry groups pressed the corps Friday to relent, insisting that releasing "a modest amount of additional water" from the Missouri won't harm upriver interests.
• "With each day the Mississippi River drops in depth, we are closer to an effective shutdown of the river. This now is no longer just a future concern, but a current economic disaster," said Tom Allegretti, president and CEO of American Waterways Operators.
• "This is an economic crisis bearing down on the heartland of the United States," added Mike Toohey, president of the Waterways Council Inc.
• As for the rock pinnacles, the corps originally planned to hire a contractor by early February to blow up the rocks, but at the request of lawmakers have hastened that effort, with Darcy saying it could begin this month.

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