The Mississippi River at Vicksburg is at its lowest in a decade, and the water’s steadily going down.

What does that mean for Vicksburg? Well, for one, it means our maritime industries are stretched thin. At Golding Barge, for example, they’re having to light-load, meaning they’re loading more barges with less product to allow the crafts to travel through the shallows.

In Vicksburg and Warren County, if it’s not the river that brings in business, it’s the tourists. Businesses that depend on cruise boat traffic from the river will also be squeezed over the next month or so as river levels continue to descend.

With Viking’s large passenger capacity suddenly absent from the River City for the time being and American Queen also adjusting its routes due to the low water, it is time to support those businesses — like our downtown merchants and museums, for example — that could take a hit from the lack of foot traffic.

Not to mention, the lack of tourist traffic from the boats also means fewer people get to witness the best parts of our historic city. With their tour busses full of people from across the globe and the smiling faces looking forward to welcoming them to the Hospitality State, it’s at the very least a shame that they’ll have to miss out on Vicksburg.

The Mighty Mississippi is a storied body of water with a mind of its own, and it’s playing games with the way of life of residents who don’t need their lives to be more difficult.

So, over the coming weeks, the best thing to do is to pray for those whose livelihoods depend on the river and its whims, patronize the businesses losing revenue due to decreased traffic, and pray that somewhere a little upriver, rainfall will bring the water back where it needs to be.