Overview

• Named after William A. Thompson, who worked for Corps of Engineers from 1878-1925.
• Built by Dravo Corporation out of Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Christened by William Thompson's granddaughter in March 1937.
• Arrived in Fountain City, Wis., on May 22, 1937.
• Taken out of service in 2008.
• Transfered to private ownership in 2012.

Statistics

• Was the biggest single piece of equipment used by the St. Paul District.
• 267 feet long, 48 feet wide and 52-foot, 9-inch minimum bridge clearance.
• 22-inch intake and 20-inch discharge.
• Could dredge to a 23 1/2-foot depth and 250 feet wide from one mooring.
• Weighs approximately 1,200 tons.

• 20-inch cutterhead, pipeline hydraulic dredge
• Averaged approximately 2 million cubic yards each year
• Dredge 1,000 cubic yards per hour
• When in use, helped maintain 850 miles of the Upper Mississippi River
• Dredged in St. Paul, Rock Island and St. Louis districts
• Worked 24 miles on the St. Croix River and 335 miles on the Illinois River
• With Booster Barge "Mullen" and additional pipeline, they could reach over 10,000 feet from dredge site to disposal site
• During normal years the Thompson was used from April until December