26 Feb 2015

Dredged Material Management Plans - Upper Mississippi River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District is responsible for maintaining 244 miles of the Upper Mississippi River 9-foot channel navigation system from the head of navigation at Minneapolis, Minnesota, at river mile 857.6 to Guttenberg, Iowa at river mile 614.0. The navigation system also includes the lower navigable portions of the Minnesota, St. Croix, and Black Rivers. Long term planning for dredged material placement has been ongoing since the mid-1970’s, starting with the GREAT (Great River Environmental Action Team) study from 1974 -1980 and is actively managed to maximize beneficial use of the material.

15 Mar 2018

Lower Pool 4 Dredged Material Management Plan – Wabasha County, Minnesota; Buffalo and Pepin Counties, Wisconsin

The Lower Pool 4 DMMP study area is located between Lock and Dam 4 and the foot of Lake Pepin, river miles 753.0 to 764.0. The study area includes the Minnesota communities in Wabasha County of Lake City, Wabasha, Reads Landing and Kellogg and the Wisconsin communities in Buffalo and Pepin Counties of Nelson, Alma and Buffalo City.

27 Sep 2021

Minnesota River Navigation Project

The St. Paul District is responsible for maintaining the 9-foot navigation channel on the Minnesota River from the mouth in St. Paul, Minnesota , to river mile 14.7 in Savage, Minnesota, and 4-foot channel depth from river mile 14.7 to 25.6 in Shakopee, Minnesota. Annual channel maintenance actions are required to maintain the congressionally authorized 9-foot channel depth. These channel maintenance activities consist of dredging, snag removal, and close monitoring of the conditions. The St. Paul District dredges approximately 23,000 cubic yards of material per year from seven distinct locations on the Minnesota River. Both government and contract hydraulic and mechanical dredges are used. Dredged material placement is planned for the long-term and is actively managed to maximize beneficial use of the material and to minimize adverse environmental impacts within the riverine environment.

26 Feb 2015

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2–10 Embankment Rehabilitation Adjacent to Structures

Embankment rehabilitation will address restoring embankments to meet current design standards. Overtopping protection adjacent to concrete structures is the first priority for design and construction. No increase in the height of the embankments is planned. Upper Mississippi Locks and Dams 2 through 10.

2 Oct 2015

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2–10 Guidewall Crib Repairs

Guidewalls are integral to each of the Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2 through 10. Guidewalls are long extensions of the lock walls, in either the upstream or downstream direction, that are parallel to the lock wall. These walls serve primarily to guide the long tows into the lock and to provide mooring facilities for tows too long to be accommodated in a single lockage. The guidewalls are constructed of multiple 35 to 40 feet length concrete monoliths with rock filled timber cribs beneath and behind them.

22 Mar 2019

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2–10 Non-Structural Embankment Repair

The non-structural embankment repair projects at Locks and Dams (LD) 2 through 10 will address restoring embankments to meet current design standards. Most dam embankments are currently protected from the erosive forces of water by a layer of riprap placed along the embankment’s length. When the riprap eventually erodes, the embankment itself will erode if more protection is not added. Upper Mississippi Locks and Dams 2 through 10.

12 Sep 2016

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 3–10 Sheet Pile Installation at Auxiliary Locks

Locks and Dams 3 through 10 have auxiliary chambers. Each auxiliary chamber has only a single set of miter gates that could pass shallow draft navigation traffic if the lock chamber was out of operation and the upstream and downstream pools were equalized. At each site, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers only installed one set of miter gates. An auxiliary lock chamber was never authorized by Congress, which would have included a second set of miter gates. Since installation, the auxiliary emergency gates have never been used, and the gate operating machinery was never installed.

5 Mar 2020

Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP)

The Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), seeks to provide a safe, reliable, cost effective and environment sustainable waterborne navigation system by implementing switchboats at five locks, constructing mooring cells and seven new 1,200 foot locks. NESP will restore the aquatic and terrestrial habitat to a more natural condition on more than 100,000 acres throughout the system through a wide variety of ecosystem projects.

16 Mar 2017

Navigation: Mississippi River End Cells

The purpose of this project is to extend the longevity of the guidewalls at each of our locks and dams and to reduce operability issues and required maintenance. An end cell would provide adequate protection of the end monolith along the guidewalls, while the past crib grouting component will add stability. Lock and Dams 2 through 10, which are located from Hastings, Minnesota, to Guttenberg, Iowa.

24 Apr 2024

Navigation: Mississippi River Lock and Dam 7, Outdraft

In 2017, a hydraulic study was launched to identify potential causes of the increased outdraft 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.

26 Feb 2015

Navigation: Routine Dam Gate Maintenance

Maintenance of the dam spillway gates are required to avoid degradation and eventual replacement. Benefit – cost analyses show it is economically favorable to maintain the gates rather than the replacement option. There are also reliability and safety concerns with allowing the gates to degrade to the point that they must be replaced. formed on site.

24 Apr 2024

Navigation: Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project Maintenance Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining a 9-foot navigation channel as an important component of the inland navigation system.

3 Sep 2024

Navigation: Upper Pool 4 Channel Management Study Minnesota/Wisconsin

The purpose of the study is to investigate if any action(s) would reduce the dredging frequency in the study area. Navigation in upper Pool 4 has been negatively affected by sedimentation in the navigation channel.

15 Mar 2018

Pool 2 Dredged Material Management Plan – Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota and Washington Counties, Minnesota

The purpose of the Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) is to prepare a coordinated long-term plan for managing dredged material in Pool 2. This plan was initiated due to increases in dredging volumes throughout Pool 2. Furthermore, three temporary dredged material placement sites need to be excavated in Lower Pool 2.

15 Mar 2018

Pool 6 Dredged Material Management Plan – Winona County, Minnesota; Buffalo and Trempealeau Counties, Wisconsin

The purpose of the Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) is to prepare a coordinated long-term plan for managing dredged material from Pool 6. The Pool 6 DMMP study area is located between Lock and Dam 5A at river mile 728.5 and Lock and Dam 6 at river mile 714.1. The study area borders the city of Winona, Minnesota, at the upstream end and extends downstream of the village of Trempealeau, Wisconsin.

15 Mar 2018

Pool 9 Dredged Material Management Plan – Houston County, Minnesota, Allamakee County, Iowa, and Vernon County, Wisconsin

The purpose of the DMMP is to prepare a coordinated long-term plan for managing dredged material in Pool 9. This plan was initiated due to needs for dredged material management upland placement sites, especially in the upstream reach of the pool. The Pool 9 Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) study area is located between Lock and Dam 8 at Genoa, Wisconsin, and Lock and Dam 9 near Lynxville, Wisconsin, spanning more than 31 river miles from 679.2 to 648.0. The study area includes several communities near the main navigation channel including Lansing, Iowa, and De Soto, Wisconsin.

27 Feb 2015

St. Croix River Project Channel Maintenance

The St. Paul District is authorized to maintain a 9-foot navigation channel on the St. Croix River from the mouth at the confluence with the Mississippi River near Prescott, Wisconsin, to river mile 24.5 near Stillwater, Minnesota. The authorized width is 200 feet. A 3-foot channel is authorized from river mile 24.5 to river mile 51.8 near Taylors Falls, Minnesota. The authorized width for this reach is 25 feet, and the controlling depth is 1 foot at extreme low water.

2 Dec 2020

Upper Mississippi River - Illinois Waterway System Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP)

Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) is a long-term program of ecosystem restoration and navigation improvements for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). NESP will improve system capacity and reduce commercial traffic delays through construction of seven new 1,200-foot locks, mooring cells, and switchboat implementation.

27 Feb 2015

Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project Locks and Dams, Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District is responsible for maintaining 244 miles of the Upper Mississippi River 9-foot channel navigation system from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Guttenberg, Iowa. The Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project is located in or contiguous to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The navigation project within the St. Paul District includes 13 locks and dams that are operated and maintained by the Corps. In addition to the locks and dams, the project includes channel maintenance, recreation and natural resource activities.

26 Feb 2015

Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project Maintenance Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining a 9-foot navigation channel as an important component to the inland navigation system. The St. Paul District (MVP) is responsible for maintaining 244 miles of the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project from the head of navigation at Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Guttenberg, Iowa. The navigation project also includes the lower navigable portions of the Minnesota, St. Croix, and Black Rivers.