Arkansas River tonnage down 34.5% in October

AgricultureBusinessCentral ArkansasFort SmithLatest NewsManufacturing

by Michael Tilley ([email protected]) November 14, 2025 3:25 pm 356 views 

Employees with Five Rivers Distribution work to unload a barge at the Port of Van Buren.

High water levels, river system maintenance, and tariff uncertainty are key factors in an almost 19% drop in tonnage shipped on the Arkansas River system in the first 10 months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported Friday (Nov. 14) that 8.419 million tons were shipped on the river between January and October, down 18.8% compared with 10.372 million in the same period of 2024. The river had 847,751 tons shipped in October, down 35.4% compared with 1.312 million tons in October 2025.

Inbound shipments in the first 10 months of 2025 — those coming from off the river system — totaled 3.042 million tons, down 6% compared with the same period in 2024. Outbound shipments totaled 2.88 million tons, down 26% compared with the same period in 2024. Internal shipments — those sent between port operations on the river — totaled 2.496 million tons, down 23%.

Tonnage of sand, gravel, rock, and chemical fertilizer, two of the largest categories of product shipped on the river, are down 24% and 28%, respectively, in the first 10 months compared with the same period in 2024.

Bryan Day, executive director of the Port of Little Rock, said lock maintenance on the river has reduced traffic, with the Trimble Lock and Dam near Fort Smith partially closed for much of October.

“This year’s barge traffic overall was definitely affected by the high water levels from spring that led well into summer,” Day said. “Even into early fall, navigation was tricky around Fort Smith and Little Rock. That along with the federal tariffs causing significant insecurity for international trade. Our shippers were hesitant to move fertilizers and construction materials (sand/bauxite mineral ore).”

Marty Shell, owner of Van Buren-based Five Rivers Distribution and manager of Van Buren port operations and the Port of Fort Smith, said his operation has been busy despite reduced river tonnage.

“Tonnage at Five Rivers Distribution in Van Buren and Fort Smith has been strong in October and for the third quarter as well,” Shell said. “All segments of barge, truck, and rail have been strong, and it looks like we will finish the fourth quarter that way as well. We had some spring rains that caused some delays in June and July, but all in all we have been very fortunate and blessed for the 2025 business year.”

Following are the top five shipment categories by tonnage in the first 10 months of 2025, with the percentage change from 2024.

  • Sand, gravel, rock: 2.937 million tons (down 24%)
  • Chemical fertilizer: 1.484 tons (down 29%)
  • Iron and steel: 923,906 tons (up 10%)
  • Minerals/building materials: 730,028 (down 19%)
  • Wheat: 660,158 tons (down 18%)

TONNAGE HISTORY, RIVER INFO
Tonnage shipped on the Arkansas River in 2024 totaled 12.446 million tons, up 1.95% compared with 2023 tonnage. The increase was driven by a 13% increase in sand, gravel, rock shipments, and 8% and 41% gains, respectively, in wheat and soybean shipments.

Inbound shipments — those coming from off the river system — totaled 3.793 million tons during 2024, down 16% compared with 2023. Outbound shipments totaled 4.769 million tons, up 134% compared with 2023. Internal shipments — those sent between port operations on the river — totaled 3.884 million tons, up 10%.

The Arkansas River system — McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) — is 445 miles long and stretches from the confluence of the Mississippi River to the Port of Catoosa near Tulsa, Okla. The controlled waterway has 18 locks and dams, with 13 in Arkansas and five in Oklahoma. The river also has five commercial ports: Pine Bluff; Little Rock; Fort Smith; Muskogee, Okla.; and the Tulsa Port of Catoosa in Oklahoma.