Barges grounded by low water clog Mississippi River traffic

There's so little water in the lower Mississippi River that barges are getting stuck in mud and sand, disrupting travel for shippers, recreational boaters and even cruise passengers.

Lack of rainfall in recent weeks has left the Mississippi River approaching record low levels in some areas from Missouri south through Louisiana. The U.S. Coast Guard said at least eight "groundings" of barges have been reported in the past week, despite low-water restrictions on barge loads.