I’m new to the area . Do these barges have a big effect on the eyes. Do they stur up the water? Is there extra percausions one need to take when they are around? Is there a distance you need to stay away from them. Is the ramp open and what is the zip code for Muscatine . That is alot of questions I hope someone can answer most.
Welcome. Yes. Yes. Definitely. Yes. Don’t know.
The number one thing to remember about barges is be safe. A tractor-trailor going down the road can be 40 tons and still stop on a dime. I’m guessing some of the barges are thirty times that weight, in moving water, steering from the rear, with no traction other than prop thrust. Add to that the fact that it’s impossible to see for a half mile in front of it and it could be a recipe for disaster. Just steer clear and remember, they always have the right-of-way. It’s a 600lb gorilla thing. The COE page has a ‘barge safety’ message on it, including passing on the inside when going around bends, etc.
Some people claim that the stir from the propwash of a barge underway will activate fish on the wings, or drive them off the main channel onto the wings. Some even leap-frog barges and be actively working the wings when the barge passes. I don’t have enough experience to tell you whether it’s true or not.
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