6 Apr 2021

A Winter to Remember: Corps of Engineers continues annual winter maintenance fight to preserve aging infrastructure

The American Society of Civil Engineers 2021 infrastructure report card released in March was less than perfect for the nation’s inland navigation system. According to the report, they gave the Inland waterway infrastructure a D+. The ASCE report said the infrastructure "includes locks and dams as well as navigation channels” but added that shipping delays cost up to $739 per hour for an average tow within the United States.

4 Feb 2015

Mother Nature allows for start early to winter lock maintenance

Following a historically late start to the navigation season in 2014, Mother Nature once again showed who’s in charge, giving the region a shot of cold air and shutting down navigation earlier than anticipated. This worked in favor of the district’s maintenance and repair section, based out of the Fountain City, Wisconsin, service base.

25 Jan 2012

District dewaters lock and dam for maintenance

The lack of ice and the presence of standing water at the bottom of Lock and Dam 7’s dewatered chamber near La Crosse, Wis., marks a drastic change from last year’s routine winter maintenance, when often times work was done during below zero temperatures. This year, with warmer than normal weather, everything is easier than normal, said Scott Uhl, the crew’s foreman. The improved weather conditions have helped the maintenance and repair crew from Fountain City, Wis., to get slightly ahead of schedule.