Barging is the most efficient and environmentally friendly mode of cargo transportaon In 2017, it would have taken 35,140 rail cars or 135,000 semi-trucks to move the cargo that was barged on the Snake River Freight Comparison of Barges, Trains and Trucks The Columbia Snake River System is the top wheat export gateway in the United States www.snakeriverdams.com The Columbia Snake River System is a 465-mile federal waterway that provides access to internaonal markets for farmers as far as the Midwest In most years, nearly 10% of all U.S. wheat exports move through the Snake River dams! Tonnage information courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers