Upper Mississippi River

St. Paul Engineer district to close four locks and dams

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is closing four of its locks and dams in early December for maintenance. The closures will officially end the 2023 navigation season on the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Guttenberg, Iowa. They will also enable inspection, maintenance and upgrade work at some of the facilities

Locks and dams 2 and 4 will close to all river traffic Dec. 4 – March 5, 2024, and locks and dams 3 and 7 will be closed Dec. 4 – March 15, 2024.

Lock and Dam...

https://www.marinelog.com/news/st-paul-engineer-district-to-close-four-locks-and-dams/

Upper Mississippi River 2020 navigation season comes to an end

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul (Minn.) District, locked its last tow of the season on Nov. 30, ending the navigation season on the Upper Mississippi River.

Traditionally, the last tow heading south of Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minn., has marked the unofficial end of the navigation season. The towboat The Colonel locked through Hastings Nov. 30. The R. Clayton McWhorter was the first tow of the 2020 season. It locked through April 6. The Colonel is owned and operated by Southern...

https://www.workboat.com/news/coastal-inland-waterways/upper-mississippi-river-2020-navigation-season-comes-to-an-end/

Navigation improves on the inland waterways

Today, the Mississippi River gauge at St. Louis was at 33.7′, a decline from higher river stages in previous weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The National Weather Service forecasts river levels will continue to fall into mid-July.

Mississippi River barge traffic at St. Louis was halted from May 23 through June 23, when river levels exceeded 38′. River closures occur at certain gauges, which are set by the Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, and barge industry representatives....

https://www.workboat.com/news/coastal-inland-waterways/navigation-improves-on-the-inland-waterways/

Tow rail rehab for six upper Mississippi locks and dams

Contractors conducted winter maintenance at Lock and Dam 4, Alma, Wisc., in December 2018 including guidewall repairs. Corps of Engineers St. Paul District photo

A $17 million contract has been awarded by the Corps of Engineers St. Paul District to Kraemer North America, LLC, Burnsville, Minn, to complete tow rail rehabilitation projects at six upper Mississippi River locks and dams.

The tow rail systems include travelling mooring bitts that speed upstream travel for 1,200’ tows through 600’ lock chambers. The travelling mooring bitt systems are located on upper guidewalls to help guide the upstream-bound tows out of the lock chamber.

Each system is...

https://www.workboat.com/news/coastal-inland-waterways/tow-rail-rehab-for-six-upper-mississippi-locks-and-dams/

Barge operators face Illinois Waterway closures, with more to come

The Starved Rock Lock and Dam is one of six sites on the Illinois Waterway where the Corps of Engineers plans to make major repairs. Corps of Engineers Rock Island District photo

Barge operators that use the Illinois Waterway will face the first round of closures in June as preliminary work begins on major repairs to six of eight lock and dam sites along the system that will begin next summer and carry into 2023.

In preparation for significant work next year, bulkhead slots will be installed at Marseilles and Starved Rock locks this summer, requiring a partial closure and width restrictions for 92 days. A full lock closure will then occur for 14 days to install the sill...

https://www.workboat.com/news/coastal-inland-waterways/barge-operators-face-illinois-waterway-closures-with-more-to-come/

Coast Guard closes five miles on Mississippi after St. Louis bridge allision

The wheelhouse of the towboat Legacy was crushed in an allision with the Eads Bridge at St. Louis, Mo., May 2, 2019. Video image by Albert M. Garcia via Facebook

A towboat crew narrowly escaped injury when their vessel struck the Eads Bridge at St. Louis, Mo., Thursday, prompting the Coast Guard to close a five-mile stretch of the upper Mississippi River.

The 80.6’x30’x11’, 2,600-hp towboat Legacy, operated by Enterprise Marine Services LLC, Houma, La., was pushing barges downriver when the allision happened off the right descending bank.

The impact nearly sheared off the wheelhouse, but no one was injured, according to Coast Guard officials, and the crew...

https://www.workboat.com/news/coastal-inland-waterways/coast-guard-closes-five-miles-on-mississippi-after-st-louis-bridge-allision/

Upper Miss and Illinois rivers barge traffic returning to normal

A soybean barge at a grain elevator in the Midwest. United Soybean Board photo

As of Nov. 12, high water levels on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers were decreasing and barge traffic was returning to normal operations, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Recently, there have been increases in soybean barge shipments despite reduced export demand from China and poor navigating conditions, the USDA said in its weekly Grain Transportation Report. For the week ending Nov. 10, soybean shipments on the locking portions of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas...

https://www.workboat.com/news/coastal-inland-waterways/upper-miss-and-illinois-rivers-barge-traffic-returning-to-normal/

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