ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, reopened its three Minneapolis locks to commercial traffic today, as flows drop below 40,000 cubic feet per second, or cfs.
The Upper St. Anthony Falls and Lower St. Anthony Falls locks and dams in downtown Minneapolis and Lock and Dam 1 next to Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis were closed to recreation traffic April 27 and to commercial traffic May 12.
While the forecast flows are falling to a point where the locks can safely open for commercial traffic, these three locks are still closed to recreational traffic.
According to the Corps' Mississippi Valley Division lock and dam regulation manual, the district is required to close the locks because the high flows are unsafe for commercial boats at 40,000 cfs and recreational boats at 30,000 cfs.
The Corps reminds boaters to exercise caution and be vigilant when boating in the area because the Mississippi River currents remain high. Submerged logs and other debris below the water’s surface can cause severe damage. Always wear your life vest, as events can happen quickly.
The nearly 650 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 2011 $175 million budget, nearly 2,800 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $271 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
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