Tonnage shipped on the Arkansas River in July totaled 675,066 tons, down 9.1% compared with 742,280 tons in July 2025. July traffic was off the recent trend of big monthly gains, including a 19.4% rise in June and an unusual 50% tonnage gain in May.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reported 6.264 million tons shipped on the river between January and July, up 9% compared with 5.749 million in the same period of 2025. The January-July gain follows a 2025 in which tonnage was down 19.5% compared with 2024.
The January through July gain is driven entirely by increased shipments between ports on the Arkansas River system. Much of that increase is driven by a 44% year-to-date increase in sand, gravel, and rock shipments, and a 9% bump in soybean shipments…