St. Paul District To Open Minneapolis Locks April 19

The St. Paul Engineer District will open Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and Lock and Dam 1, both in Minneapolis, to commercial and recreational navigation traffic April 19.

Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam will operate from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Lock and Dam 1 will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and major holidays, with the last lockage at 5 p.m. On Mondays and Fridays, hours are noon to 8 p.m. with the last lockage at 5:30. On Tuesdays through Thursdays, the lock is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for commercial traffic by appointment only with 24-hour notice.

The Lock and Dam 1 Visitor Center offers free, self-guided tours that give the public a hands-on look at a working lock and dam, along with views of the Mississippi River.

The St. Paul District maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and 13 locks and dams from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. District officials said keeping the system open is vital to the nation’s economy.