ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is hosting a public meeting Aug. 7 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis, Minn., to discuss reducing the operating hours for Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, and Lock and Dam 1, all in Minneapolis.
This proposal is part of a nationwide effort to maximize constrained funding and provide consistent levels of service throughout the Corps’ Inland Marine Transportation System. The cost savings from these efforts could be applied to backlogged maintenance of locks to reduce closures and improve system reliability. Based on Corps’ Headquarters guidance, the current usage at these locks does not support 24-hour service.
The proposed lock operating hours are from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. during the navigation season. No lockages would occur outside of the proposed operating hours. These hours would be implemented prior to the start of the 2013 navigation season, which usually begins in March.
Comments are due to Kevin Baumgard, St. Paul District deputy chief of operations, no later than Aug. 30. Submit comments by email to kevin.l.baumgard@usace.army.mil or mail to, Corps of Engineers, C/O Kevin Baumgard, 180 5th St. E Suite 700, St. Paul, MN, 55101-1678.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, serves the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood risk reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. It contributes around $181 million to the five-state district economy. The 700 employees work at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
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Release no. 12-083