Wed, Jul 23 2008
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Published January 23, 2008 12:28 pm - Oklahoma's Port-ability: Topic for regional discussion By Joy Hampton CLAREMORE PROGRESS (CLAREMORE, Okla.) Oklahoma and Arkansas hope to join forces in securing approximately $160 million in federal funding to deepen the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigational System. Representatives from both states set a strategic planning session Thursday in Fort Smith, Ark. “We need to reach a consensus so everybody can march to the same drummer,” said Port of Catoosa Director Bob Portiss. “Senator (Jim) Inhofe has been leading the way in Oklahoma. We need to get his counterparts in Arkansas to join him.” The project will potentially yield a 30 percent increase in shipping load capacity traveling the waterway. “Deepening the channel is the most important thing we can do to improve the efficiency of the commercial traffic on the river,” said Steve Taylor, vice president of Johnston’s Port 33. Today, an average barge carries 1,400 tons - 2.8 million pounds - of cargo on an 8 1/2-foot draft along the 9-foot channel, according to Portiss. “The reason they can do that is the bottom (of a barge) is pretty flat,” said Portiss. “But if you can put an additional 30 percent of cargo in there, you’ve suddenly gone from 1,400 tons to 1,800 tons. What that amounts to is another 15 to 20 truck loads, and that’s pretty substantial.” The increase means a difference from the current capacity of 60 truckloads per barge to 80 truckloads per barge, said Portiss. Rogers County is host to two major ports along the McClellan-Kerr Navigational System, the Port of Catoosa in west Rogers County on Highway 266 and the privately owned Johnston’s Port 33 located along Highway 412 west of Inola. Both were sending representatives to the Arkansas meeting. “We’ve got a pretty good cross section of folks who make their living off this waterway,” said Portiss. “I appreciate that everyone along this river has always been willing to work together.” Interested parties from the port and terminal industry planning to travel to Fort Smith from Oklahoma included Portiss, Taylor, Scott Robinson of Port of Muskogee, Glen Cheatham of Oklahoma Department of Transportation Waterways Division, and Ted Coombes of Southwest Power Resources Association. Joy Hampton writes for Claremore (Okla.) Progress. 
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