Corps of Engineers releases 2013 navigation statistics for Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls Locks and Dams

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, released the navigation statistics for the 2013 navigation season for Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls Locks and Dams in Minneapolis today, Dec. 11.

The Corps’ staff supported 1,136 lockages at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and 1,842 lockages at Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. There were 581 commercial navigation lockages at the upper lock and 1,365 commercial lockages at the lower lock. These commercial tows transported 821,150 tons of commodities through both of the locks. Around 31, 580 large semi trucks would be needed to haul the same amount of tonnage. During the 2012 navigation season, there were 594 commercial lockages at the upper lock and 607 at the lower lock.

In addition to the commercial lockages, the lock staff supported 735 recreation vessels during 549 recreation lockages at the upper lock, and 706 vessels and 470 lockages at the lower lock. To minimize lockages, the Corps of Engineers tries to include multiple recreation vessels during a single lockage. There were an additional six lockages at the upper lock and seven lockages at the lower lock from various government agencies to include the Corps of Engineers.

The lock was closed three separate times during the season due to high flows – twice in May and once in early July.

The first lockage of the season for the upper and lower locks was the Motor Vessel Paradise Lady April 5. The last lock of the season was the Motor Vessel Becky Sue Nov. 24. 

In 2012, 13.5 million tons of commodities were shipped on the Mississippi River with the St. Paul District’s area of operation, including 7 million tons of grain grown in the Upper Midwest. The industries making these shipments saved nearly $288 million by using the inland waterways instead of overland shipping methods.

The nearly 700 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 Corps’ Fiscal Year 2011 $175 million budget, nearly 2,800 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $271 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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