Corps of Engineers releases Minneapolis lock and dam stats for 2016

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, released the 2016 navigation statistics for the Upper Mississippi River today, Jan. 11.

The 2016 season was a year of major change for the three Minneapolis locks – both the Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls locks and Lock and Dam 1. The 2016 navigation season was the first full year with no navigation at the upper lock following its closure June 10, 2015. The lock was closed due to the passage of the Water Resources Reform Development Act in 2014. The act required the upper lock to close within one year of the law being signed by the president.

During the 2016 season, Corps staff supported 878 cumulative lockages at Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and 939 lockages at Lock and Dam 1.

Of the total lockages, there were 626 commercial lockages at the lower lock and 107 commercial lockages at Lock and Dam 1. These lockages were predominately a mix of commercial passenger vessels and tow boats.

In addition to the commercial lockages, Corps staff locked 1,154 recreational vessels during 250 lockages at the lower lock and 1,938 recreational vessels during 826 lockages at Lock and Dam 1. To minimize lockages, the Corps tried to include multiple recreation vessels during a single lockage. There were an additional two lockages at the lower lock and six lockages at Lock and Dam 1 from various government agencies to include the Corps.

Navigation statistics fluctuate from year to year, depending on the weather, river flows and the length of the navigation season. The St. Paul District maintains a 9-foot navigation channel from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. Keeping this system open is vital to the nation’s economy. 

The nearly 600 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 St. Paul District Fiscal Year 2016 $78 million budget, nearly 1,250 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $120 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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