17 Apr 2025

Navigation: Mississippi River Lock and Dam 7 Outdraft

In 2017, a hydraulic study was launched to identify potential causes of the increased outdraft at Lock and Dam 7 and to investigate and implement measures to alleviate the condition. Flow measurements collected over the last 30 years indicate a significant shift in flows just upstream of Lock and Dam 7, with nearly 20% more flow coming through the existing navigation channel, which must then exit through the dam, exacerbating the outdraft condition.