The poor condition of the Mississippi River’s aging locks and dams triggered concerns from federal and state lawmakers earlier this month during a barge tour of Lock and Dam 15 in the Quad Cities. 

The Iowa and Illinois Corn Growers Associations sponsored the event, which focused on the deteriorating infrastructure that is critical to moving agricultural commodities and other commerce on the second longest river in North America. The two-hour tour aboard the L. J. Sullivan towboat included Iowa Reps. Rod Blum and Dave Loebsack, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, local mayors and about 75 other guests and media.

"You’ll see some crumbling infrastructure when we go through Lock 15," announced Marty Hettle, chairman of the Inland Waterways Users Board, one of about a dozen speakers on the tour. "This system is so important to our farmers to get their product...