Low Mississippi River levels expose sunken WWII ship

A portion of the Mississippi River is so low it is now exposing a sunken World War II ship in St. Louis.

The river is at four feet and expected to go lower. The water is so low, it is impacting barge traffic in an area known for providing a majority of the nation’s rice, catfish, and cotton.

The USS Inaugural was spotted earlier this week. The ship was a World War II minesweeper, participating in the Invasion in Okinawa. It cleared 82 mines in its day.

The National Park Service wanted to restore it, but that is not possible. So, it will salvage the ship for scraps metal and put a portion of it in a museum.