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332 Minnesota St., Suite E1500
St. Paul, MN 55101

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Corps of Engineers sets date for first Lake Pepin ice surveys of the year

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District
Published Jan. 21, 2025
Updated: Jan. 21, 2025

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will start its annual Lake Pepin ice measurements Feb. 11, marking an early indicator of spring to help predict navigational conditions.

The lake’s ice thickness is measured because it’s the widest, naturally occurring part of the Mississippi River. Located between the Minnesota cities of Red Wing and Wabasha, the lake’s ice is the last major barrier for vessels reaching the head of the navigation channel in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A Corps survey crew uses an airboat and a global positioning system to collect the data. The information is used by the navigation industry to predict when it’s safe to break through the ice and begin the 2025 navigation season.

The Motor Vessel Joseph Patrick Eckstein was the first tow to pass Lock and Dam 2 in Hastings, Minnesota, last year and reach St. Paul, Minnesota, arriving March 17, 2024. Historically, the average date in which navigation is open occurs during the third week of March.

Ice measurements are typically completed weekly until the first tow arrives and the data is posted at: https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/Ice-Measurements/.

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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Release no. 25-002