KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana |Group discusses commercial use of Red River
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Associated Press - May 29, 2009 3:04 PM ET
TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) - A group that wants to open the Red River north of Louisiana to commercial traffic says developing the river would give the region an economic boost.
The Red River Valley Association held its annual gathering in Texarkana on Thursday. Group members say turning the upper Red River into a navigable waterway would help Texarkana grow, especially if high-speed rail is also developed.
The river is navigable in Louisiana between Shreveport and Alexandria, having opened in 1995 after a series of locks and dams were completed between Shreveport and the Mississippi River. The group points to Shreveport and the economic growth it has seen because of the river.
Members also say making the Arkansas portion of the river navigable would have added benefits, such as recreation areas that the Army Corps of Engineers would build with locks and dams.
Group members say the biggest challenge is showing that the economic benefits will outweigh the cost of developing the river.
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