Feenstra

Based on a 2021 analysis, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) recently determined that it would remove 36 Aids to Navigation (ATONs) along the Missouri River north of Blencoe, Iowa. The removal process is projected to be completed by May 2025, and if implemented, this would be devastating for our farmers, businesses, and manufacturers that rely on the Missouri River to ship their goods and serve their customers in an efficient and effective manner. It would also severely curtail ongoing investments in the Missouri River and slow economic growth in Iowa and across the Midwest. Representing the entirety of the Missouri River that borders Iowa, I am working with local leaders, businesses, organizations, and my colleagues in Congress to reverse this decision and ensure that investments continue in the Missouri River.

For reference, ATONs are essentially street signs for waterways that help ships and barges travel safely, navigate hazards, and pinpoint their position in the water. Examples of ATONs include buoys, day beacons, lights, lightships, radio beacons, and fog signals. These devices ensure the safety of ships and their crews and keep our water supply chains moving effortlessly. I’ve been to the Port of Blencoe where I’ve seen firsthand the importance of these ATONs and had the opportunity to better understand how our ports are facilitating an enormous amount of economic activity in Iowa and throughout the United States.

The Missouri River – which runs 743 miles from Sioux City to St. Louis and boasts 140 ports, docks, and terminals – has long been critical to economic development across Western Iowa and supports the timely transportation of manufactured goods and agricultural products both within the United States and internationally. Over 500 million tons of cargo – including Iowa agricultural commodities like corn and soybeans – are shipped along the Missouri River every year. This is the equivalent of 19 million trucks on our roadways.

The sheer amount of trade that occurs along the Missouri River clearly highlights how the U.S. Coast Guard’s decision to remove 36 ATONs on the Missouri River threatens our region’s economic vitality and cuts off trade along this important waterway.

That’s why – alongside eight of my colleagues, 53 supporting organizations, businesses, and local leaders, and Governor Reynolds – I am calling on the USCG to keep these ATONs in place and continue investing in the Missouri River. The supporting businesses, organizations, and local leaders include Ag Processing Inc., NEW Cooperative, the Port of Blencoe, the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, the Iowa Farm Bureau, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, the Iowa Corn Growers Association, the Iowa Pork Producers Association, the Iowa Soybean Association, the City of Sioux City, the City of Sergeant Bluff, and the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River.

Organizations like the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, Harrison County Development Corporation, Monona County Economic Development, Loess Hills Alliance Economic Development Committee, and the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce have also signaled their support for this initiative. I further appreciate Alex Watters, Sioux City Councilman; Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority; Dan Moore, Mayor Pro Tem of Sioux City; Robert Scott, Mayor of Sioux City; and Jacob Bossman, Iowa State House Representative for working with us to prevent the removal of these 36 needed ATONs.

In our letters, we emphasize that many projects are already in motion to improve the utilization of the Missouri River – including a new barge terminal project in Sioux City – and this decision by the USCG ignores the economic growth already happening because of the Missouri River. In fact, a staggering $469 million is currently being invested in the Missouri River.

We must maintain navigation up and down the Missouri River, not just for the vitality of our businesses, but for the future growth of our region and the long-term success of our communities. As an avid supporter of our inland waterways, especially the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, I will continue to advocate for our waterways because the ability to ship Iowa-made products around the world relies on a functional river system.

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Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, represents Iowa’s Fourth District in the U.S. House.