ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, released the 2018 navigation statistics for the Upper Mississippi River today, Feb. 1.
The Corps’ Lock and Dam 5A, near Fountain City, Wisconsin, was slightly below the 10-year average for combined lockages. Corps staff supported 3,145 combined lockages during the 2018 season. The 10-year average is 3,356. The staff supported 3,458 combined lockages during the 2017 season.
There were 1,806 commercial navigation lockages at Lock 5A in 2018. The lockages supported 9,055,052 tons of commodities by the navigation industry. During the 2017 season, Corps staff supported 2,061 commercial lockages and the movement of 11,378,827 tons of commodities.
In addition to the commercial lockages, Corps staff locked 3,495 recreation vessels during 1,321 recreation lockages. To minimize lockages, the Corps tries to include multiple recreation vessels during a single lockage. There were an additional 48 lockages from various government agencies including the Corps.
The last tow of the season was the Motor Vessel Titletown U.S.A. She passed through Lock 10, heading south, Dec. 1, 2018. The 2018 navigation season started April 11, when the Motor Vessel Michael Poindexter locked through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minnesota en route to St. Paul, Minnesota.
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.
– 30 –