UPDATE: Locks and Dams 1 and 3 are now open

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, announced today that Lock and Dam 1, in Minneapolis, is now open to all commercial traffic, and Lock and Dam 3, in Welch, Minnesota, is open to navigation traffic. Be advised that Lock and Dam 1 flows are at 30,000 cubic feet per second with floating debris creating potentially hazardous conditions for recreational traffic; therefore, the lock is closed to recreational traffic until water flows decrease and the excessive amount of floating debris is reduced.

Both locks were previously closed due to high water flows.

The St. Paul District navigation program provides a safe, reliable, 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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