This week’s guest speaker for the Vicksburg Kiwanis Club was Austin Golding of Golding Barge Line.

Golding Barge Line is one of three barge companies in Vicksburg. Golding touched on how the three barge lines operate, how they are contributing to the community, as well as how river traffic has been affected by low river levels due to our worsening drought.

Golding explained that the three local barge companies have different businesses; therefore, they do not compete for business. However, they do compete for employees.

The three barge companies are working with Hinds Community College’s Vicksburg campus to turn a building on Highway 27 into the Hinds Community College Maritime Training Center. They feel that this will increase the number of available employees for each barge line and increase employment opportunities for area residents, Golding said.

“There are many great opportunities for individuals to earn a very good wage,” Golding said. “Deckhands start at $45,000 per year. Some captains can make as much as $1,000 a day.”

Golding also discussed how worsening drought conditions are affecting traffic on the Mississippi River.

The low river levels are beginning to create issues in river traffic, there are places now with only one-way traffic, which causes boats traveling upstream to have to pull over to allow downstream boats to proceed. The lack of rain, as well as the diversion of water from the main river to other areas, is impacting the river’s level in a negative way.