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

Published April 11, 2018

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.

Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter locks through Lock and Dam 2
HASTINGS, Minn. – The Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter, an American Commercial Lines vessel, locks through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District’s Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, April 11. The vessel broke through the ice in Lake Pepin, just north of Wabasha, Minnesota, April 10, en route to St. Paul, Minnesota. With the arrival of the M/V Poindexter, all of the St. Paul District locks south of St. Paul are now operational.
Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter locks through Lock and Dam 2
Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter locks through Lock and Dam 2
HASTINGS, Minn. – The Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter, an American Commercial Lines vessel, locks through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District’s Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, April 11. The vessel broke through the ice in Lake Pepin, just north of Wabasha, Minnesota, April 10, en route to St. Paul, Minnesota. With the arrival of the M/V Poindexter, all of the St. Paul District locks south of St. Paul are now operational.
Photo By: Patrick N. Moes
VIRIN: 180411-A-LI073-0060
The Corps considers the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 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. The latest arrival date unrelated to flooding was April 8, 2013. Historic flooding in 2001 delayed the arrival of the first tow until May 11.

The Corps would also like to remind boaters to “share the road.” Commercial towboats with barges are less maneuverable and take longer to stop than recreation boats. Before getting underway, boaters should also know their boat and know the rules of the road:

·         Take a safe boating course and check your boat for all required safety equipment;
·         Consider the size of the boat, the number of passengers and the amount of extra equipment you have;
·         Wear your life jacket, don’t just carry it on board – events can happen quickly;
·         Leave alcohol behind to increase your safety and decrease your risk;
·         Check the weather forecast; and
·         File a float plan with a friend or family member.

The first tow to reach Lock and Dam 2 in 2017 was the M/V Stephen L. Colby, she was locked through March 9.

First tow of 2018 pushes through Lake Pepin
WABASHA, Minn. – The Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter, an American Commercial Lines vessel, breaks through ice in Lake Pepin, just north of Wabasha, April 10. The vessel is the first to reach Lake Pepin this year. By breaking the ice in Lake Pepin, the last natural barrier to navigation within the Mississippi River, the season is officially underway for all of the locks within the St. Paul District.
First tow of 2018 pushes through Lake Pepin
First tow of 2018 pushes through Lake Pepin
WABASHA, Minn. – The Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter, an American Commercial Lines vessel, breaks through ice in Lake Pepin, just north of Wabasha, April 10. The vessel is the first to reach Lake Pepin this year. By breaking the ice in Lake Pepin, the last natural barrier to navigation within the Mississippi River, the season is officially underway for all of the locks within the St. Paul District.
Photo By: Patrick N. Moes
VIRIN: 180410-A-LI073-0031
The St. Paul District maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and operates 12 locks and dams to support navigation from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. Keeping this system open is vital to the nation’s economy. The commercial navigation industry estimates an annual average savings of nearly $270 million by using the inland waterways instead of overland shipping methods.

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 regionaleconomy as well as $120 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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Release no. 18-030