ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, has closed its locks at Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1, both in Minneapolis, to recreational traffic today due to high flows.
“As of 6 a.m. this morning, the flow at Lower St. Anthony Falls was more than 32,000 cubic feet per second,” said Michael Derusha, lockmaster at the two locations. “Our procedure is to close the locks to recreational traffic once we exceed 30,000 cfs.”
“We will remain open to commercial vessels,” Derusha said.
According to the Corps' Mississippi Valley Division lock and dam regulation manual, the district is required to close the lock and dams to recreational traffic at 30,000 cfs because the high flows are unsafe. Commercial traffic at these locks is shut down at 40,000 cfs.
The Corps reminds boaters to exercise caution and be vigilant when boating in the area, as Mississippi River currents are high. Submerged logs and other debris below the water’s surface can cause severe damage to water craft and passengers. Always wear a life vest, as events can happen quickly, and observe buoys marking restricted areas.
The nearly 600 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2015 $100 million budget, nearly 1,600 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $155 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
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