The Corps of Engineers hosts open house at Lock and Dam 7

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is hosting an open house at Lock and Dam 7, near La Crescent, Minnesota, Saturday, Sept. 18, in conjunction with Applefest.

The lock, located off Interstate 90 at exit 276, will be open to the public from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Applefest is held annually in La Crescent to celebrate the community’s ties to the apple industry.

The public is invited to get a behind-the-scenes perspective of the lock and dam while meeting lock staff and learning about the importance of navigation to the region. Learn about water safety, environmental stewardship and catch a front-row seat as vessels lock through. Riverview Tug Service will be on-site and offering tours of Motor Vessel Mrs. P. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will also be on-site to answer boating safety questions and the U.S. Geological Survey will have a display set up as well.

The St. Paul District’s navigation program provides a safe, reliable and cost-effective and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation system on the Upper Mississippi River for the movement of commercial goods and for national security needs. To do this, the district maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and 13 locks and dams from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. Keeping this system open is vital to the nation’s economy.

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