ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will close its three twin cities locks to commercial navigation at 4 p.m. today, when flows surpass 40,000 cubic feet per second, or cfs. The three locks were closed to recreation boaters Sunday, April 27, when flows exceeded 30,000 cfs.
Based on National Weather Service forecasts, flows are expected be more than 40,000 cfs at the upper three locks until sometime next week. The locks will be closed to recreational traffic until flows are below 30,000 cfs.
According to the Corps' Mississippi Valley Division lock and dam regulation manual, the district is required to close the lock and dams to recreational traffic at 30,000 cfs because the high flows are unsafe. Commercial traffic at these locks is shut down at 40,000 cfs.
The Corps reminds boaters to exercise caution and be vigilant when boating in the area, because the Mississippi River currents are high. Submerged logs and other debris below the water’s surface can cause severe damage. Always wear your life vest, as events can happen quickly.
The nearly 650 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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