News

Sediment closes upper Mississippi

Part of the Mississippi River between Wisconsin and Minnesota is closed to barge traffic.  Sand bars high enough to ground towboats have formed near Winona and Wabasha forcing the Army Corps of Engineers to close the river from Winona to Red Wing.  Dan Cottrell, channel maintenance coordinator with the Corps says they found three areas where they did not have the minimum nine feet for a tow.

Heavy rains in late June and early July dumped a lot of sediment into the river. As water levels drop the river loses the ability to carry the sediment so it settles out.

Dredging is underway, Cottrell expects the Winona area to be open by Monday but it will take another couple of weeks to complete the project and reopen to Red Wing.