Summary:
The U.S. Coast Guard is monitoring a series of river closures in the southern half of the state.

Full article:
(CNN) -- The Mississippi River was closed at two different locations Thursday after a barge ran aground near Greenville, Mississippi, and the Army Corps of Engineers carried out dredging operations near La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Greenville closure affects a 10-mile stretch of the Lower Mississippi, according to Coast Guard spokesman Lt. JG McMillian. He said the incident represents the 24th closure his office has monitored in past weeks. Closures have become more routine this year, officials say, as last year's flooding may have worsened the situation by way of silt and other deposits of debris in areas that are normally clear. The traffic closures occurred just as a historic drought and excessive heat reduce water levels and scorch wide sections of the U.S. Midwest. CNN's Tom Laabs contributed to this report.