Mississippi River

American Serenade riverboat passes by on its way downriver

Sep 17, 2025

Ben Threinen took this photo of the American Serenade riverboat as it passed by Marina Point on its way downstream. In the background are trees, many of which have leaves that are beginning to take on fall colors. According to American Cruise Lines, which operates the boat, American Serenade was...

Army Corps plans meeting on restoration of Robinson Lake area of the river near Wabasha

Feb 19, 2025

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will host a public meeting on the Robinson Lake habitat rehabilitation and enhancement project Feb. 27, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Wabasha-Kellogg High School, 2113 Hiawatha Dr. E., Wabasha. The project purpose is to enhance and restore...

River crests, but questions remain about damage, reopening

Jul 3, 2024

Water levels on the Mississippi River at Lake City were trending downward Tuesday after cresting at 17.26 feet earlier in the week. On Tuesday morning, the river was at 17.10 feet, still above the Minor Flood Stage lower bound of 16 feet. Flooding caused the closure of public boat ramps at Hok-Si-...

Rains bring flooding to area

Jun 26, 2024

Although not as severe as other areas, high water locally has caused road closures, boat ramp closures, and the postponement of at least one Water Ski Days activity. On Tuesday the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) measured the Mississippi River level above the 13-foot Action...

Officials update Mississippi River fish consumption guidelines

Apr 3, 2024

The Minnesota Department of Health has new and updated guidance on fish consumption for the Mississippi River from St. Paul to Wabasha, due to a mixture of pollutants — including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — found in fish tissue, according to a news release. The new guidance, issued...

Commercial navigation season begins on Lake Pepin

Mar 20, 2024

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, locked the Motor Vessel Joseph Patrick Eckstein with 12 barges through Lock and Dam 2, in Hastings, Minnesota, March 17, en route to St. Paul. The St. Paul District considers the first tow to arrive at Lock and Dam 2 as the unofficial start of...

Ice measurements canceled for the year

Feb 28, 2024

The 2023 commercial navigation season started March 12, when the Motor Vessel Phillip M Pfeffer broke its way through the ice of Lake Pepin to travel to St. Paul. Whichever boat is the first to traverse Lake Pepin this year may not encounter much ice on the lake, if any. The U.S. Army Corps of...

Corps: Lockages below 10-year average in St. Paul District

Jan 3, 2024

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, released its 2023 navigation statistics for the Upper Mississippi River, showing lockages below the 10-year average throughout the district, including the two nearest to Lake City. The 2023 navigation season unofficially ended Nov. 23, after the...

Commercial navigation season comes to a close for 2023

Dec 6, 2023

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, saw the last tow of the 2023 navigation season as the Motor Vessel Thomas Erickson, departed Lock and Dam 10, near Guttenberg, Iowa, Dec. 3, with 15 barges. Meanwhile Minnesota Department of Conservation officers reported ice angler activity on...

Corps, Wabasha to sign non-binding dredge sand agreement on July 24

Jul 19, 2023

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the city of Wabasha, Minn., are set to sign a historic river sand management document during a brief ceremony in Wabasha July 24, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The ceremony is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., at the National Eagle...