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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
St. Paul District
Programs & Project Management
332 Minnesota St., Suite E1500
St. Paul, MN 55101

cemvp-pm@usace.army.mil

  • April

    Eau Galle Recreation Area hours cut due to vandalism

    ST. PAUL, Minn. –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is cutting hours of operation at the main day use area at Eau Galle Recreation Area near Spring Valley, Wisconsin, due to a recent sting of vandalism.

  • May

    Eau Galle Recreation Area open for business, Blackhawk Park remains closed

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, re-opened the Eau Galle Recreation Area campground, near Spring Valley, Wisconsin, the week of April 22.

  • October

    Engineering the Falls: The Corps of Engineers' Role at St. Anthony Falls

    People have always been drawn to the power and beauty of St. Anthony Falls. For Native Americans, the falls possessed religious significance and harbored powerful spirits. For the early European and American explorers, the falls provided a landmark in a vast wilderness, as well as an interesting geological phenomenon. During the 19th century, settlers, tourists and artists were drawn to St. Anthony Falls' picturesque beauty, while entrepreneurs seized the water power of the falls for their lumber and flour mills. Meanwhile, promoters of river transportation viewed St. Anthony Falls as an obstacle to be overcome, as they dreamed of extending navigation on the Mississippi River above Minneapolis.

  • May

    CROSSLAKE, Minn., -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District's Cross Lake Recreation Area offers a variety of recreational opportunities for people of all ages. Whether you are looking to cool off during the hot summer by swimming in the lake, or you want to cast a line a catch a fish, there is something for everyone.

    Enjoy America’s Waterways, Play It Safe and Return Home Alive

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – Before you head out for a day on or near the water, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, encourages you to make sure you have life jackets for everyone and that you wear them.

  • December

    Environmental Assessment available for public review and comment for proposed fish passage project at Drayton Dam

    SAINT PAUL, MINN. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is proposing to implement fish passage at Drayton Dam as a mitigation feature for the proposed Fargo, N.D./Moorhead, Minn., Metropolitan flood risk management project.

  • August

    Environmental Assessment available for public review and comment for proposed Wild Rice Dam Removal

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is proposing to remove Wild Rice Dam as a mitigation feature for the proposed Fargo, N.D./Moorhead, Minn., flood risk management project. The flood risk management project could potentially impact fish of the Wild Rice River and removing Wild Rice Dam has been proposed to improve fish movement and reduce potential adverse effects.

  • June

    Environmental Assessment public meeting for proposed Fargo-Moorhead diversion project

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, in cooperation with the Flood Diversion Board of Authority, will host a meeting June 25 to discuss the latest Environmental Assessment for the proposed Fargo, N.D./Moorhead, Minn., Metropolitan Flood Risk Management Plan.

  • January

    Environmental Infrastructure projects in North Dakota receive $12 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Plan

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, received $12 million for three water supply and sanitary sewer infrastructure projects in northern and eastern North Dakota in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, Plan released this week.

  • February

    Walking on water? Not quite. One aspect of the Corps of Engineers not often seen is our Environmental Management Program. Here, a bulldozer moves dredge material to create islands in the Mississippi River. Specifically, the Capoli Slough Habitat Restoration project is located in Pool 9, downstream of Lansing, Iowa, on the Wisconsin side of the river, where erosion from wave action and main channel flows is reducing the size of wetland areas. This has resulted in the loss of aquatic vegetation and the shallow habitats important for the survival of many species of fish and wildlife. The project is broken down into two stages, and consists of creating 12 islands, improving backwater habitat, bank stabilization and other measures to improve the habitability. Once completed, the project will be turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service for day-to-day management.

    Environmental Management Program reaches 25 years

    The Pool 8 Islands construction project on the Upper Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minn., is scheduled for completion this summer and the first stage of construction at Capoli Slough, downstream of Lansing, Iowa, is scheduled to start this spring. Both projects are part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration-Environmental Management Program, known as the EMP.
  • Members of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers look at aerial maps of the Mississippi River while conducting a tour to see the island creation process in action.

    Evolution of a new approach on how engineers design

    A temporary end to design and construction activities in Pool 8 will occur this summer as the Corps focuses on other areas of the Upper Mississippi River, including Pool 9, said Novak. The success of the Pool 8 project and other EMP projects have paved the way for new designs and construction techniques.

  • November

    Expansion of the regulatory mission

    The Department of the Army Regulatory Program is one of the oldest organizations within the federal government. Initially, its purpose was to protect and maintain the navigable capacity of the nation's waters. The St. Paul District’s regulatory role in protecting Minnesota’s and Wisconsin’s water resources has evolved and expanded greatly since the program began regulating commerce and navigation on the Upper Mississippi River in 1866.

  • December

    A web ad for the Fall 2021 issue of Crosscurrents, the district's newsletter

    Fall 2021 Crosscurrents

    The Fall 2021 issue of Crosscurrents, the district's newsletter, is now available here: https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Media/Crosscurrents/
  • The Fall 2022 issue of Crosscurrents is now available!

    Fall 2022 Crosscurrents

    The Fall 2022 issue of Crosscurrents, the district's newsletter, is now available here: https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Media/Crosscurrents/

  • June

    Fargo-Moorhead diversion channel project receives federal authorization

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Fargo, N.D/Moorhead, Minn., diversion channel project achieved another milestone today, June 10, when President Barack Obama signed the Water Resource Reform and Development Act of 2014 into law, authorizing construction of the project.

  • February

    Fargo-Moorhead diversion project receives $100 million in Corps work plan

    ST. PAUL, Minn. –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, received $100 million to continue work on the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Flood Risk Management Project in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fiscal Year 2020 Work Plan released yesterday.

  • May

    Fargo-Moorhead diversion project receives $20 million in Corps work plan

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, received $20 million to continue construction of the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Flood Risk Management Project in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fiscal Year 2017 Work Plan released late yesterday.

  • January

    Fargo-Moorhead diversion project receives $437 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act plan

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, received $437 million to complete work on the Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Flood Risk Management Project in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, Plan released today.

  • February

    Fargo-Moorhead diversion project receives federal funding for construction

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Fargo, North Dakota/Moorhead, Minnesota, flood risk management project achieved another milestone today, Feb. 9, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released its 2016 Work Plan which includes construction funding in the amount of $5 million for the project.

  • August

    Fargo-Moorhead project team receives national Corps of Engineers’ award

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters, in Washington, D.C., recently named the St. Paul District Fargo-Moorhead Metropolitan Area Flood Risk Management Project Delivery Team as its “USACE 2022 Project Delivery Team of the Year for Excellence.”

  • March

    Federal and local leaders invite the community to remember 1997 flood; celebrate groundbreaking on federal project

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Board of Authority invite the public to a 1997 Flood Commemoration and Groundbreaking Ceremony at 1 p.m., Monday, April 17.

  • April

    Federal and local leaders invite the community to remember 1997 flood; celebrate groundbreaking on federal project

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the Fargo-Moorhead Diversion Board of Authority invite the public to a 1997 Flood Commemoration and Groundbreaking Ceremony at 1 p.m., today at the future site of the diversion project’s inlet control structure.

  • July

    BRAINERD, Minn. – Robert Burns, Gull Lake Recreation Area summer ranger, picks up debris following a July 12 storm that dropped nearly 1,000 trees. The park, on the southeast side of Gull Lake and near Brainerd, Minnesota, had campers at 26 campsites when the storm arrived around 7 p.m. Despite damage to a few vehicles and buildings, there were no injuries to any of the staff of campers.

    Fierce storm destroys vehicles, trees

    A Sunday evening storm caused severe damage to the Gull Lake Recreation Area July 12.

  • November

    Finding a way to make it possible – deer hunt for the physically disabled

    The 10th annual physically disabled and veterans deer hunt took place on the wildlife sanctuary within the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, St. Paul District, Orwell Dam and Recreation Area, near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, from Nov. 14 to 16, 2017.

  • March

    First barge of the 2022 navigation season making its way through Lake Pepin

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Motor Vessel Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr., is breaking its way through the ice of Lake Pepin today to become the first boat to kick off the unofficial start of the 2022 navigation season on the Upper Mississippi River.
  • A tow boat navigates the Mississippi River.

    First barge of the 2023 navigation season arrives in St. Paul, Minnesota

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, locked the Motor Vessel Phillip M Pfeffer with six barges through Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minnesota, March 12, en route to St. Paul, Minnesota. The lockage marks the unofficial start to the 2023 Upper Mississippi River navigation season.

  • November

    First in the nation contract awarded for an environmental project under the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, awarded a $324,000 contract today to Togiak Management Services of Anchorage, Alaska, to complete a wing dam modification project in Pool 2 of the Mississippi River downstream of St. Paul, Minnesota.

  • March

    Towboat at night in Lock and Dam 2

    First Mississippi River towboat kicks off 2024 navigation season

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, locked the Motor Vessel Joseph Patrick Eckstein with 12 barges through Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minnesota, March 17, en route to St. Paul, Minnesota.
  • HASTINGS, Minn. -- The Motor Vessel Stephen L. Colby locks through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minnesota, March 9. The vessel is the first tow of the 2017 navigation season to reach Lock 2. Her final destination is St. Paul, Minnesota.

    First tow boat of 2017 Mississippi River navigation season set to reach St. Paul, Minnesota

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Motor Vessel Stephen L. Colby locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minnesota, today around 6 a.m. She was pushing 12 barges en route to St. Paul, Minnesota.

  • April

    HASTINGS, Minn. –The Motor Vessel Roberta Tabor locks through Lock and Dam 2 in Hastings, Minn., April 8. The tow was the first to break through the ice at Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River and arrive in St. Paul, Minn. Traditionally, the first tow to break through the ice marks the unofficial start to the navigation season for the Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District.

    First tow breaks through Lake Pepin, heading toward St. Paul

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The first up-bound tow of the 2013 navigation season crushed through more than 12 to 16 inches of ice at Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River early this morning.

  • March

    First tow breaks through Lake Pepin, on its way to St. Paul, Minn.

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The first up-bound tow boat and barges for the opening of 2012 navigation season crunched through up to 10 inches of ice at Lake Pepin on the Mississippi River early this morning.
  • The Motor Vessel R. Clayton McWhorter

    First tow marks the open of the 2021 navigation season

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Motor Vessel R. Clayton McWhorter, originating from the Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois and pushing 12 barges en route to St. Paul, Minnesota, was locked through Lock and Dam 3, near Welch, Minnesota, today around 1:45 p.m. The tow marks the unofficial start of the 2021 navigation season.
  • The Motor Vessel Ronald Wagonblast locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minn., Sunday, March 13, around 7:30 a.m. She was pushing 12 barges en route to St. Paul, Minn. The Corps considers the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minn., as the unofficial start of the navigation season, because it means all of its locks are accessible to commercial and recreational vessels. The earliest date for an up-bound tow to reach Lock and Dam 2 was March 4, in 1983, 1984 and 2000. The average start date of the navigation season is March 22.

    First tow marks unofficial opening to navigation season

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Motor Vessel Ronald Wagonblast locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minn., Sunday, March 13, around 7:30 a.m. She was pushing 12 barges en route to St. Paul, Minn.
  • M/V New Dawn broke through Lake Pepin ice overnight and locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minnesota, around 7:45 on March 25, 2015, marking the unofficial start to the navigation season for the Upper Mississippi River. The American River Transportation Company boat was pushing nine barges loaded with fertilizer.

    First tow marks unofficial opening to navigation season

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The 2015 Mississippi River navigation season has arrived. The Motor Vessel New Dawn locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minnesota, at 7:45 a.m. this morning. She was pushing nine loaded barges en route to St. Paul, Minnesota.

  • April

    Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter locks through Lock and Dam 2

    First tow of 2018 reaches St. Paul, Minnesota, opening Upper Mississippi River navigation season

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter, pushing 12 barges en route to St. Paul, locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, today around 1:30 p.m.

  • First tow of the season advances past Lock and Dam 2 to the Port of St. Paul

    The Motor Vessel Aaron F. Barrett, pushing 12 barges en route to St. Paul, Minnesota, was locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, today around 7 a.m.

  • February

    Matt Bray and Tim Grundhoffer, engineering; Pete Corkin, Rock Island District; U.S. Rep. Earl Pomeroy; Col. Mike Wonsik, St. Paul District commander; and Maj. Gen. Russell Fuhrman, Mississippi Valley Division, at Breckenridge, Minn., during the floods of 1997. --USACE St. Paul District File Photo

    Flood of ’97 overwhelms Wahpeton/Breckenridge

    (originally published in the October-November 2007 Crosscurrents) Engineering division’s Matt Bray and Tim Grundhoffer fought two swiftly rising rivers, blizzard conditions and extreme temperatures only to be overcome by conditions beyond their control and to lose portions of a town not just once, but twice, in the same flood. Bray, a geotech engineer, and Grundhoffer, a structural engineer, were assigned as flood subarea engineers in Wahpeton, N.D., and Breckenridge, Minn., during the 1997 floods that wreaked havoc across the Red River Valley. Although they worked together closely, Bray worked primarily in Wahpeton and Grundhoffer in Breckenridge. Pete Corkin, from Rock Island District, assisted them.

  • June

    Flooding forces closure of Corps of Engineers’ Blackhawk Park

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is temporarily closing its Blackhawk Park, located near De Soto, Wisconsin, due to high river levels.

  • May

    Floodplain forests provide habitat, recreation and mitigation

    The St. Paul District environmental stewardship section has been busy lately planting trees near Bay City, Wis. The reforestation project began as a way to mitigate floodplain forest and wetlands that were lost due to the nearly $70 million dollars in renovations to Lock and Dam 3, near Red Wing, Minn.

  • October

    Floods of 1997

    The St. Paul District faced one of its biggest challenges ever when, in the timeframe of around six weeks in 1997, it simultaneously fought floods in three river basins – the Red, the Minnesota and the Mississippi.

  • November

    Gouverneur Kimble Warren

    Maj. Gouverneur Kimble Warren was the first district engineer of the St. Paul District. After the Civil War, he came to St. Paul in 1866 and began work surveying the Mississippi, Chippewa, St. Croix and Wisconsin Rivers. He also began the preservation of St. Anthony Falls and designed the nation’s first reservoir system, the Mississippi River Headwaters Reservoir System.

  • July

    Gull Lake boat ramp reopened following storm

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, reopened the boat ramp at Gull Lake Dam and Recreation Area today, July 28.
  • Recreators canoe Gull River, near Brainerd, Minnesota.

    Gull Lake Dam and Recreation Site temporarily closed

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, closed its Gull Lake Dam and Recreation Site, located near Brainerd, Minnesota, this morning until further notice.

  • October

    Gull Lake Dam road closed for repairs, set to re-open Nov. 30

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has closed the Gull Lake Dam Road in Brainerd, Minnesota, for repairs due to the riverbank failing after heavy rains and decades of erosion.

  • February

    Gull Lake park rangers use teamwork to prepare for summer

    The Gull Lake Recreation Area, just north of Brainerd, Minn., has served as a district flood control project for the past 100 years. While the dam regulates the water levels on the chain of lakes, the park rangers that oversee the dam’s operations and maintenance take care of more than just the gate adjustments.

  • October

    Resident engineer Scott Baker, center, during the weekly progress meeting and site visit Aug. 11, 2015, for the Harper’s Slough project. The Harper’s Slough Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, located within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, was planned and designed under the authority of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program. It will protect five existing islands and construct an additional seven islands using material from the backwater and main channel. The program emphasizes habitat rehabilitation and enhancement projects and long-term resource monitoring. Project component includes dredging backwater areas and channels, constructing dikes, creating and stabilizing islands and controlling side channel flows and water levels. Once the project is completed, the project will be turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who manages the refuge.

    Harpers Slough restoration gains ground

    After years of degradation, Mississippi River islands near Lansing, Iowa, are receiving much needed attention.

  • August

    Hastings resident earns national finance award

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters in Washington, D.C., recently selected Hastings, Minn., resident and St. Paul District employee Pete Lillie as recipient of the Financial Manager of the Year – District Level Award.

  • February

    Steam rises from the Mississippi River around the Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District's Pokegama Dam during the winter. The dam and recreation area are located near Grand Rapids, Minn.

    Headwaters reservoirs: Streams, dreams and navigation

    The late 1800s were challenging times for people living in the Midwest. Flour millers in the Minneapolis area, as well as boat captains on the Upper Mississippi River, often had difficulties working on the river in the late summer months because the river ran dry. The need for reliable river transportation was a growing requirement for the

  • March

    Mary Kay Larson, Gull Lake Recreation Area park manager, operates the dam during a gate change.

    Headwaters reservoirs: Water management provides flood risk reduction, recreation

    Regulating the Mississippi River Headwaters reservoirs takes a lot of coordination, monitoring and science, according to Brian Johnson, Mississippi River Headwaters water control engineer.

  • April

    Kurt Heckendorf, engineering and construction division, stands in front of a constructed deflector at the project Ilha Tapera, near Barra, Bahia, Brazil.

    Heckendorf finds travel, learning opportunities while working in Brazil

    Geotechnical engineer Kurt Heckendorf recently returned from a six-month trip to Brasilia, the capitol of Brazil, where he lived and worked alongside the local population.

  • October

    Henry Bosse was born in Prussia November 13th, 1844. He immigrated to the United States in 1865 and by 1870 was working in a book and stationary shop in Chicago. He began working for the Corps of Engineers in Chicago in 1874 and was soon transferred to the Corps’ River and Harbor Improvement Office in St. Paul. In 1878 he transferred to the Corps’ Rock Island District.

    Henry Bosse

    One of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District’s claim to fame is renowned photographer Henry Bosse. Bosse was born in Prussia Nov. 13, 1844. He immigrated to the United States in 1865; and by, 1870, he was working in a book and stationary shop in Chicago. He began working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Chicago in 1874 and was soon transferred to the Corps’ River and Harbor Improvement Office in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1878, he transferred to the Corps’ Rock Island District.

  • April

    High flows force closure of Minneapolis locks for recreational traffic

    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.

  • October

    High flows force closure of Minneapolis locks for recreational traffic

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, closed its locks today at Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1 in Minneapolis to recreational traffic due to high flows.

  • April

    High water and concerns for safety prompt closure at Lock and Dam 4

    The U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is closing Lock and Dam 4, in Alma, Wisconsin, to recreational vessels.

  • October

    High water forces closure of Corps of Engineers’ Blackhawk Park

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is temporarily closing its Blackhawk Park, located near De Soto, Wisconsin, due to high river levels.

  • May

    High water forces Minneapolis lock closures

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, closed its locks at Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1, both in Minneapolis, to recreational traffic today due to high flows.

  • October

    Highway 13 bridge to be reduced to one lane through February

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Highway 13 / 33 Highway Bridge over the Minnesota River in Watson, Minnesota, will be reduced to one lane, Oct. 19, 2021, through Feb. 10, 2022, while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, begins renovating its Lac qui Parle Dam.
  • Captain Hiram M. Chittenden’s served as temporary District Engineer for four months in 1901 during which time he gets credit for the conversion of Leech Lake Dam from a timber to a concrete structure and the design of Twin Cities Lock and Dam #2. Chittenden was assigned to St. Paul District for much of his career, more than those four brief months of command.

    Hiram M. Chittenden

    Captain Hiram M. Chittenden’s photograph appears on the wall outside the executive office of St. Paul District. Chittenden served as temporary district engineer for four months in 1901, during which time he gets credit for the conversion of Leech Lake Dam from a timber to a concrete structure and the design of Twin Cities Lock and Dam #2. Chittenden was assigned to St. Paul District for much of his career, more than those four brief months of command.

  • July

    people speak during a military ceremony

    Historic agreement creates river sand management partnership

    Members from the city of Wabasha, Minnesota, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, gathered at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha to sign a historic partnership agreement July 24.

  • May

    Historic St. Anthony Falls lock site added to Doors Open Minneapolis lineup

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District – in partnership with the National Park Service – will open its doors and provide access to the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock during the Doors Open Minneapolis event, running May 18-19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

  • November

    Lake Ashtabula is located 12 miles northwest of Valley City, N.D., and is situated in one of the most scenic river valleys in the region, offering visitors a wide range of recreation opportunities. The lake offers activities for every season of the year. Fishing and snowmobiling are available in the winter. The spring and fall bring a beautiful view of the migrating waterfowl. There are plenty of activities available in the summer, such as fishing, boating, camping, swimming and picnicking.

    History of recreation in the St. Paul District

    The St. Paul District constructed and placed approximately 15 dams into operation starting with Lake Winnie, Leech Lake and Pokegama Lake dams on the Headwaters of the Mississippi River in 1884 and concluded with the Highway 75/Bigstone Dam in 1972. Except for the Headwaters dams that were constructed at the outlets of large natural lakes, the remaining dams created new reservoirs. These lakes, reservoirs and tail water areas created prime locations for outdoor recreation and visitors slowly starting utilizing the areas as railroads, road systems, vehicles and accessibility became more modern.

  • October

    Mississippi River Headwaters reservoirs

    History of the Headwaters Recreation Areas

    The Mississippi River Headwaters dams, located in north central Minnesota, were constructed and placed in operation between 1884 and 1912. Maj. General Warren, the first St. Paul District commander, noted the importance of the Mississippi River Headwaters area during field surveys in the 1860s. Less than 10 years later, Congress authorized a feasibility study to determine whether a series of dams and reservoirs could aid in stabilizing water flow in the Mississippi River between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. As a result, a system of dams capable of raising water levels and storing annual spring runoff from six existing lake systems was designated. These structures are located at the outlets of Gull Lake, Leech Lake, Big Sandy Lake, Cross Lake, Pokegama Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish. Two of these lakes, Leech and Winnibigoshish, are located within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.
  • President Trump appoints MG Holland as MRC President

    Holland appointed to Mississippi River Commission

    President Donald J. Trump recently appointed Major General Diana M. Holland as a member and as the 41st President of the Mississippi River Commission (MRC).

  • January

    Hours of operations to be reduced at Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and Lock and Dam 1

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, announced today the hours of operation will be reduced a to single, 10-hour shift, seven days a week, at Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and Lock Dam 1 following the closure of Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. These three locks are all located in Minneapolis.

  • June

    Input sought on Twin Cities locks disposition study

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public input on a study to evaluate three lock and dam sites located in Minneapolis.

  • January

    International Red River Board to host public meeting

    Winnipeg, MB.—The International Red River Board will be hosting a public open house meeting at the Ramada Plaza Suites in Fargo, North Dakota on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014, from 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m.

  • July

    Col. Karl Jansen

    Jansen to command Corps of Engineers in St. Paul, Minnesota

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will host a change of command ceremony at the historic Landmark Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, today, July 10, at 10 a.m

  • Join the Corps of Engineers, National Park Service for an open house at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is partnering with the National Park Service and Mississippi Park Connection to host an open house at the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam, in Minneapolis, on Saturday, July 27, to coincide with the city’s Aquatennial festival.

  • September

    ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Col. Daniel C. Koprowski, assumes command of the St. Paul District during a ceremony at the district headquarters in St. Paul, Minn., June 19.

    Koprowski takes the helm

    About 350 people gathered at the district’s headquarters in St. Paul, Minn., June 19 to say farewell to the outgoing commander while welcoming the new one into the district’s family.

  • June

    Col. Dan Koprowski assumes command of the St. Paul District June 19, 2013, becoming the district’s 64th commander and district engineer. Prior to assuming this command, he was assigned to the National War College in Washington, D.C.

    Koprowski to command Corps of Engineers St. Paul unit

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will host a change of command ceremony in St. Paul, Minn., June 19.

  • November

    Lac Qui Parle Dam construction update

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, continues to make repairs to a sinkhole discovered in the Lac Qui Parle Dam embankment on Oct. 28.

  • January

    Lac qui Parle Dam repairs continue

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is preparing for the next phase of concrete repairs at the Lac qui Parle Dam, located near Watson, Minnesota.

  • May

    Lake Ashtabula and Baldhill Dam

    Lake Ashtabula hosts Kids to Parks Day event May 16

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District staff at Lake Ashtabula, on the Sheyenne River near Valley City, N.D., is one of two Corps of Engineers sites selected to receive a grant for National Kids to Parks Day event this year on May 16.

  • July

    Rich Schueneman, site manager for Lake Ashtabula, near Valley City, N.D., gives temporary water safety tattoos to a group of elementary students that helped plant trees at the park May 16.

    Lake Ashtabula park rangers partner with local school to plant trees, celebrate the outdoors

    District staff from Lake Ashtabula, near Valley City, N.D., and faculty and students from Jefferson Elementary School in Valley City, celebrated the National Kids to Parks Day at the park May 16.

  • April

    Lake Ashtabula recreation area opening delayed through May 15

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is delaying the start to the recreation season at Lake Ashtabula, near Valley City, North Dakota, due to weather.

  • Lake Ashtabula West Crossing Campground to receive a $244,000 facelift

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, awarded a $244,000 contract to AMG Construction Company, out of Banning, California, to update its Lake Ashtabula West Crossing Campground, near Valley City, North Dakota.

  • Lake Darling inflows fall to 2,000 cubic feet per second, pool drawdown to 1,592 feet continues

    Inflow is currently estimated at 2,000 cubic feet per second and falling. Releases from the dam will remain at 2,800 cfs until the pool reaches an elevation of 1,592 feet or when local snow melt starts. Local melt is expected to start next week.

  • Lake Darling outflows at 2,600 cubic feet per second

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – On April 18, the U.S. Geological Survey took actual outflow measurements downstream of Lake Darling Dam and determined releases from the dam are around 2,600 cubic feet per second.
  • Releases from Lake Darling Dam on the Souris River in North Dakota on April 18, 2013. Approximately 2,600 cubic feet per second.

    Lake Darling outflows cut to 1,700 cubic feet per second

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, cut outflows through Lake Darling Dam to 1,700 cubic feet per second today. The pool is currently at 1,592 feet with inflows estimated at 900 cfs.

  • May

    Lake Darling outflows to be increased

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will increase outflows through Lake Darling Dam, located upstream of Burlington, N.D., to 300 cubic feet per second this morning and to 1,000 cfs by tomorrow morning.

  • April

    Lake Darling pool is being drawn down to 1,592 ft.

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is drawing down Lake Darling’s pool elevation to 1,592 feet. Current releases from Lake Darling Dam of 2,800 cubic feet per second will be maintained to bring the pool down to this elevation by the end of next week.

  • February

    Airboat operator Bill Chelmowski and survey technician Kurt Schroeder scoot across frozen Lake Pepin as ice thickness measurements are taken on Feb. 18, 2015. St. Paul District staff from the channels and harbors section took to the ice of Lake Pepin on Feb. 18 for the first of weekly ice thickness measurements. The thickest ice discovered this year was at river miles 771 and 766, where 21 inches were recorded.

    Lake Pepin ice measurements begin

    With an air temperature of -5 degrees and winds at 15 miles per hour or more, St. Paul District staff from the channels and harbors section took to the ice of Lake Pepin on Feb. 18 for the first of weekly ice thickness measurements.

  • August

    Lake St. Croix Beach resident earns national planning award

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters in Washington, D.C., recently selected Lake St. Croix Beach, Minn., resident and St. Paul District employee Jon Sobiech as the recipient of its National Planning Excellence Enterprise Award.

  • July

    Ann Banitt, St. Paul District senior hydraulic engineer

    Lakeville resident selected for prestigious award

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters in Washington, D.C., recently selected Lakeville, Minnesota, resident and St. Paul District senior hydraulic engineer Ann Banitt as the recipient of its Hydrology, Hydraulics and Coastal Community of Practice Professional of the Year Award.

  • May

    Leech Lake Recreation Area boat landing temporarily closed

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, has temporarily closed its boat landing at the Leech Lake Recreation Area in Federal Dam, Minnesota, due to safety concerns for its staff, visitors and the local community.

  • June

    Steve Tapp, St. Paul District channels and harbors chief

    Lewiston resident selected for prestigious award

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, recently selected St. Paul District Channels and Harbors Section Supervisor and Lewiston, Minnesota, resident Steve Tapp as the division’s nominee for the national Outstanding Civilian of the Year Award.
  • Blackhawk Park on the Mississippi River. The St. Paul District operates 49 recreation areas, ranging from public landings along the Mississippi River to lock and dam visitor centers to full-service campgrounds. These recreation areas are an important component of the region’s tourism industry, and the impact on the local and regional economies is significant.

    Limited campsite availability at Blackhawk Park continues

    ST. PAUL, Minn. –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, continues to only be able to offer limited camping at Blackhawk Park, located near De Soto, Wis., due to ongoing minor flooding and maintenance work.

  • December

    evin Baumgard receives an award

    Lindstrom resident recognized by Corps of Engineers

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, awarded Lindstrom, Minnesota, resident Kevin Baumgard the highly prestigious Bronze Order of the de Fleury Medal during a ceremony at the district’s headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dec. 19.

  • April

    Lingering winter prompts delayed Lake Ashtabula campground opening

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will delay opening its camping facilities at Lake Ashtabula, near Valley City, N.D., until Friday, May 10, weather permitting.

  • June

    Planting crew spreads out across the island to plant seedlings

    Little Hoot Island tree planting

    On May 23, 2013, 19 tree planters representing individual volunteers, the Student Conservation Association, School on the Prairie from Holmen, Wis., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Section of the Corps of Engineers, converged on Little Hoot Island on the Mississippi River in Pool 8 near Brownsville, Minn., to plant 750 tree and shrub seedlings.

  • September

    LGL meets with Beauregard Parish official

    Local Government Liaisons reach the hearts of communities

    Often during disaster response, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Planning and Response Teams such as, temporary emergency power, debris removal and Operation Blue Roof are the Corps activities in the limelight; however, the little-known and little-seen Local Government Liaison, or LGL, national cadre is operating in the background, providing a critical lifeline of communication between Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state, local officials, and the Corps.

  • November

    Lock 10 closing for maintenance and non-navigation season

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is closing Lock 10, near Guttenberg, Iowa, to all navigation from Dec. 12 to March 4, 2018.

  • July

    Lock and Dam 1 open to public during Highland Fest 2012

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will host an open house at Lock and Dam 1, located near Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, Saturday, July 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Lock and Dam 1, Minneapolis, Minn. Upper Mississippi River mile 847.9

    Lock and Dam 1 open to public during Highland Fest 2013

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will host an open house at Lock and Dam 1, located near Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, Friday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

  • January

    Lock and Dam 4

    Lock and Dam 4 winter maintenance update

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, closed its parking lot and observation bridge at Lock and Dam 4, in Alma, Wisconsin, for winter maintenance after the end of last year’s navigation season.

  • March

    Kris Taverna, left, and Dale Rud, both of operations, work to remove damaged concrete from the lockwall at Lock and Dam 5A on January 15, 2015. Lock 5A was closed to navigation on Dec. 1, 2014, in order to complete the necessary work by March 9, 2015.

    Lock and Dam 5A to reopen by March 23

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will reopen Lock and Dam 5A, near Fountain City, Wisconsin, no later than March 23. The facility was originally scheduled to reopen today, March 9, but thick ice conditions indicate that navigation will not begin on the Upper Mississippi River until later than originally anticipated. Work crews are set to complete scheduled maintenance within the new timeframe.
  • The lock chamber at Lock and Dam 8, near Genoa, Wis., is dewatered in order to perform an extensive list of preventative maintenance. Rehabilitative work like this happens about every 20 years on each Mississippi River lock and dam within the St. Paul District from Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis to Lock and Dam 10 in Guttenberg, Iowa. The Corps began dewatering the lock Dec. 3 in order to complete the necessary work around March 8. The anticipated cost of this project is $3.8 million. Lock and Dam 8 was last dewatered in 1992.

    Lock and Dam 8 to reopen March 17

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, announced that Lock and Dam 8, near Genoa, Wis., will reopen March 17.
  • New "mule" on for the tow rail at Lock and Dam 6

    Lock and dam tow rail systems get upgrades

    The St. Paul District is investing more than $18 million in the tow rail system, vital pieces of equipment which assists tows locking through lock and dams when traveling upriver.

  • December

    MINNESOTA CITY, Minn. -- Duane Skjeie, operations, drives a cart at Lock and Dam 5, near Minnesota City, Minn., Nov. 5.

    Lock staff’s quick response save canoeist, dog

    A typical day at Lock and Dam 5, near Minnesota City, Minn., turned into a quick reaction rescue for two of the district’s lock operators recently.

  • May

    A man on a crane.

    Major work completed at Lock and Dam 2

    There is major work happening at Lock and Dam 2 in Hastings, Minnesota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, performs rehabilitative work on each of the district’s 13 locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi River every 15-20 years. This year, it was time for Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minnesota, to be dewatered for the first time since 2007. The Corps closed Lock 2 on Dec. 4, 2023, to complete the necessary work by a target date of March 5.

  • April

    Maplewood resident receives regional Army Corps of Engineers award

    Mitch Weier of Maplewood, Minnesota, has been named the 2024 Hydrology, Hydraulics and Coastal Community of Practice Water Control Data Systems annual award winner from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division.