"Role of Tugboats in Mississippi Commerce"

The Mississippi River runs for about 2,320 miles through the United States, from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Through North American history, it has been an artery for commerce. Even with modern technologies, it is easier and cheaper to move goods along the river than overland. Tugboats and barges have become associated with the Mississippi River, and are responsible for moving about 300 million tons of cargo move along the river every year. It has been reported that a single barge can travel twice as far on a gallon of fuel as a train and five times as far as a semi truck. Barges, however, depend on the push an pull of river tugboats, which are highly maneuverable in bringing cargo down river. The photos that you see are pictures that I took from a river landing in St. Paul, Minnesota, with the city of St.Paul nearby.