Corps celebrates 150 years of history, hosts Lock and Dam 1 open house

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is hosting an open house at Lock and Dam 1, located near Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, Saturday, July 16, from noon to 4 p.m. 

The lock and dam, often referred to as the Ford Dam, is located at 5000 West River Parkway, Minneapolis. It is also adjacent to Minnehaha Park. The lock is open for navigation seven days a week from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.  

Corps staff will be available to discuss how the lock works, and a hands-on lock model will be available for kids to play with during the open house. Visitors are also invited to visit areas that are normally off limits to include the lock house.  

In addition to having Corps staff available to answer questions about the lock and navigation, members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will be available to discuss the importance of water safety.  

This open house is free and is being held in conjunction with Highland Fest 2016. For accessibility questions or more information, please contact the Lock and Dam 1 staff at (651) 290-5949.  

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 2014 $100 million budget, nearly 1,600 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $155 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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