This dataset provides weekly information on the number, location, direction, and type of barges transiting the following three major points: (1) the last lock on the Mississippi River, Mississippi Locks 27 (called "Miss Locks 27" in the dataset); (2) the last lock on the Ohio River, Olmsted Locks and Dam ; and (3) the last lock on the Arkansas River, Arkansas River Lock and Dam 1 (called "Ark Lock 1" in the dataset). (Olmsted locks replaced Ohio Locks 52 beginning in November 2018.)

The data offers insight on barge movements over time. One variable is "direction", which consists of upbound ("Up") and downbound ("Down"). It also offers insight on the "type" of traffic (e.g., empty barges, loaded barges, grain barges, and non-grain barges). More specifically, upbound data includes the number of empty barges and the number of loaded (any commodity) barges transiting the locking system. Downbound data includes the number of empty barges, the number of grain barges (loaded), and the number of non-grain (loaded) barges. That is, grain and non-grain sum to total loaded for downbound traffic. will Due to data availability, prior to 10/15/2000, downbound data includes just empty and loaded counts.

A similar dataset, "Downbound Barge Grain Movements (Tons)," contains information on the tonnage (and commodity) of grain moving by barge down the locking system: https://agtransport.usda.gov/d/n4pw-9ygw/.

Data is collected weekly from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Lock Performance Monitoring System.

Includes weekly data on the number of grain barges unloaded for export at grain elevators located in the New Orleans region, between Baton Rouge and Myrtle Grove.