FULTON, Miss. (WTVA) -- Due to low water levels, the Mississippi River is seeing a slight decrease in river traffic which means some of the traffic is being diverted to the Tenn-Tom Waterway.
The water is well-controlled and there is less fluctation, which makes it an attractive option for tugs and barges heading north or south.
Larger pleasure craft vessels are also using the Tenn-Tom Waterway this winter since the waterway offers around 9 1/2 feet of water to draft.
"This time of year we see a lot of yacht traffic, too; there are people that have been up at the marina that have been there for years," adds Greg Deakle, port director. "Basically, we do see a lot of yacht traffic. It's hard to believe that sometimes you get snowbirds that travel in yachts, but they come down from the north. [They] get out of the icy water [and] come down here to spend the winter."
It takes yachts, barges and tug boats anywhere between 5 to 5 1/2 days to travel the length of the Tenn-Tom Waterway from Mobile, Ala., to Pickwick Lake in Tennessee.
