TRANSPORTATION NETWORK The transportation network of the United States includes trains and railways, trucks and highways, barges and river channels, and airplanes and runways. The choice of carriers depends on how much of what commodity is being moved where, and when it needs to reach its destination. Air travel is fastest while barges are slowest; trucks and trains a re rarely detained by weather and travel throughout the count ry. Barges are the most fuel efficient but are limited by t h e season of the year and the available navigable wa ter ways.
To move one ton of cargo one mile is called a ton mile, and barges are the most fuel efficient, moving 407 ton miles per gallon of fuel compared to 208 ton miles per gallon by rail, 90 ton miles per gallon by truck, and 5 ton miles per gallon by air. These are industry wide averages provided by the Minnesota Department of Transportation . Let's follow one cargo, wheat for instance, on its journ~y from field to market. Wheat grown in the upper- midwest is transported from local elevators to grain terminals by truck or railroad. Part of this wheat is then hauled to mills in the area to be made into flour and other products. Another large part of the wheat is transported to barges waiting on the Mississippi River to carry it on to other terminals down the river to the Gulf of Mexico. Here it may then be transferred to ocean going vessels for shipment to ports around the world . Barges are an important link in the transportation CARRIER
network.
US Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District
RIVER WILDLIFE A fa m il ia r sce n e a long th e riv e r is th e gr e a t blu e he r on stand ing in statu esque immobility o r stalk ing in th e s hallow bac k wat e rs. The he ron hov e long b e ak s w hich they use for captu ri ng thei r prey - fish , fr o g s and oth er aquatic animal s. The great blu e ' h e ron stand s betwe e n four and five feet toll. Their long n ec k is de signed s o that i't con fold back, seeming to rest on the shoulders when the heron is
flying .
GREAT BLUE HERON
Th is gr e at rapto r, e a sy to id e ntify by its white head and t ai l, is our notional symbol. The adult eagle ha s a w ing span of a lmost seven feet. The y oung eagles ar e almo st e ntire ly dork, th e head and ta il turn ing whit e a ro und thr ee y e ars of age. Bald eagles feed almo st e ntir e ly on fi s h. Many e agle s w int e r along the Upp e r Mi ssiss ipp i River. The open water s below the locks and dam s provide excellent fishing hole s for this magnifice nt bird.
The appearance of the bluegill varie s from light to dark olive, often with a touch of purpl e lu ster in older individuals. Adult bluegill s forage in deep weed bed s, where they eat s na ils, small crayfi sh, and insects. They feed primarily in the early morn ing and aga in in the late afternoon. Bluegills cannot b e surpassed as a panfish; their flesh is s w e et and ve r y tasty. They have a reputation of be ing n ibblers and will soon shred the bait off a large hook. A patie nt fisherman and a small hook a re requ ired to land
a bluegill.
The co mmon ca rp is a n o ble fish with a lovely kisser. Much m a ligned by America n sportsmen, this intro¡ d uced species is held in high regard in other parts o f the w orl d , b o th as a fighting game fish and on exce ll ent food fish. Co rp ore a nuisance in many North A merican waters, where they compete for food w ith the n ati v e fish species an d stir up the bottom se d iments, up rooting a q uatic p lants. The common co r p is the most important fish in the commercial catch o n the Up p e r Mississippi River. Most carp ca u g ht by commercial fishermen ore shipped to eastern ci ties for consumption.
The long sloping bill of the canvasback gives this duck a unique profile. The male canvasback hos a
white body, black chest, and a reddish head. This The Higgins Eye is the only Federally endangered
HIGGINS EYE ( PEARLY MUSSEL
mus s el known to be present in the St. Paul District. This mu ssel was probably n~ver common in this area. Commercial harvesting and water quality degrado¡ tion ore believed to hove led to the reduction in numbers of this species. The Higgins Eye is found in a few scattered locations in the St. Poul District most notably in the St. Croix River at Hudson, Wisconsin, and in the Missi ssippi River near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and Gutttenburg, Iowa.
popular water fowl is considered one of the besteating. The canvasback have undergone several population reductions due to droughts and draining of the wetlands and ore now protected from hunting on the Mississippi River. The wild celery beds in the Upper Mississippi River are an important food for this water fowl. The canvasbacks stop for a couple of weeks in the fall at these celery beds to rest and feast during their annual migration to wintering grounds.
The white bass has nine to twelve longitud inal stripe s on o silvery background. Its mou th is strong and ho s a slightly protruding jaw. White boss travel in larg e schools . They feed on insects and s mall fish . A white boss bites readily on minnow s, plugs, spinners, and flies . After locating a school of white boss, a fisherman can quickly catch his limit.
The mayfly that river folk s ore all too fam iliar with
is the adult form of the insect. Mayfly nymphs or
THREERIDGE MUSSEL
The threeridge is one of the most common mussels or clams of the Upper Mississippi River.. This mussel is highly tolerant of the varying habitat conditions found along the river. Most of the common fish species of the river serve as hosts for the larval stage of this mussel's life cycle. The shell of the threeridge was used in the past in the manufacturing of buttons. Todov this mussel is of some commercial importance being used as 'pearl seed' in the cultured pearl industry of Japan.
young live in the water. At matu rity they float to the
surface and shed their skin. Adult mayfl ies mote in
MAYFLY
I
flight, sometimes millions of mayflies ore involv e d in the nuptial swarmings. The adult mayflies live for only for a few hours to o day. The adult mayflies ore attracted to lights along the river and their bod ie s are often piled up to a foot or more deep along the shoreline. Mayflies ore an important source of food for the fish . These insects are intolerant of pollution and their presence is an indication of good env ironmental quality.
Wall e y es v ary from d ull silvery g ray to dark brassy o liv e b row n. This fish p refers clean, co ol w ater. In ea rly s p ring, walleyes congregate bel o w the Locks and Dams. In Jun e thro ug h e arly July they remain in s hallow wat e r over reefs and ba rs or along the s ho rel ine. As the wa ters w a rm, th e wa lleye retreats slow ly into deeper and co ol er water. Most anglers fish fo r walleye with m innow s, n igh t craw lers, or leaches. Other fishermen troll w ith o s ma ll spinner and minnows. A good p lace to fish fo r w a lleyes is below the w ing dam s, wh ere th e wall eye likes to rest.
m
US Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District
WELCOME TO LOCK AND DAM 0.1
THE FEDERAL ENGINEER The present U.S. Corps of Engineers
As the country grew , Army engineers helped in the
was established in 1802 in conjunction
construction of forts and were responsible for surveyin g
with the Congressional authorization
and exploring the West. In 1824, Congress initiated th e
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cordially
to organize a military ocodomy to
Corps civil works program . Snagging and clearing
welcomes you to the lock and Dam No. 1 Visitor
educate engineers at West Point, N. Y.
operations began on the Ohio and Mississipp i Rivers;
Promenade, a
self~paced
walking tour of this
lighthouses were built on the Great lakes.
structure. This walk overages 45 minutes and offers a bird's eye view of the lock chambers. There ore interpretive displays on river users, how o lock works1 river wildlife and river people. The river wall contains equipment and machinery
from the old lock. Please enjoy yourself.
There was work to be done outside of our nation a s During the Civil War, Army engineers were responsible
well. After the first attempt to build the Panama Ca nal
for ensuring the safe movement of men and supplies.
failed , in 1914 the Corps stepped in and completed th e After the war , the Corps returned to managing our project. During this century, the Corps has served th e
water resources, improving rivers and harbors.
Notion in times of peace and war fighting both floods
In the 1850 1s, the Corps constructed the Library of Congress and completed the Washington Monument. In the 1870's and 80,s, these surveyors mapped the
\
,d foes, and continually improving our waterway• for navigation. In the early 1960 's
1
Corps efforts were
also directed to the race for the moon , chosen by Yellowstone region and pioneered the conservation Lock and Dom No. 1 is on~e of 29 lock and dams along the Upper Mississippi River. These 29 locks and dams form the
efforts that led to Yellowstone National Park .
r
NASA to be the construction agent.
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--~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--
From the Notion 1 s waterways to the exploration of th e
9-foot Navigation Channel allowing for travel of barges
moon , the Corps has continued in its efforts at home
and tows from St. Anthony Falls to the Gulf of Mexico and
and abroad as the federal engineer.
making Minneapolis - St. Paul a major trade and transshipment center to the world. Recreation croft, ranging from canoes and power boats to floating palace excursion boots, also benefit from this structural solution to the rapids, rocks, and snags which formerly threatened to destroy the vessels that braved this river.
US Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District
BIG WATER
The Mississippi River, paramount among North Am erican rivers, along with its tributaries, forms the
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
world 's fifth largest drainage system in area 1,244,000 square miles. The Indians called this river " Father of Waters
''i literally Mis i ' big' and Sipi ' water'.
The rive r has three distinct personalities. At its source, lake Itasca, to the head of navigation here in the Twin Cities, the river is a clear running fresh stream. From the Twin Cities to the mouth of the Missouri at St. Louis, the river is o powerful, dominant force, moving post stone bluffs gathering streams and <. mall rivers along the way. At the Missouri, the
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Mi ssissi ppi changes to a turbulent force . And , at the junctio n of the Oh io River, the Mississippi swells to its full grandeur. The river was a pathway through the wilderness for the native Americans, explorers, fur traders, and
A free flowing river offers many obstacles to travel,
settlers. Indian villages, settlements, towns and
low flow , rapids, waterfalls, boulders and snags.
necessary and the series of 29 locks and dams hove
event ually cities grew up along the shores of the
A major characteristic of a river is its slope. The
allowed the Twin Cities to become the head of
The digg ing or dredg ing of a 9 -foot channel wa s
river . The river wa s food, water, livelihood and
change in elevation from head waters to mouth of
navigation. Minneapo lis and St. Poul are now ma jor
supplies for the people along its shores. Downstream
a river, coupled with the amount of water flow ing
trading ports accessible to barges from a s far away
trips were dangerous but possible when the water in
and the landscape through which it flows, make a
as New Orleans, carrying products from around the
the river was good. But upstream travel remained
river. The slope of the Miss issi ppi River from St. Louis
world. lock & Dam No. l is conveniently located
a journey that only the strong and brave dared to
and on down to the Gulf of Mexico, with the
between the bread basket to the west and industry
make. Men had to be hall-horse hall-alligator to
additional waters of the Missouri and Ohio Rivers,
to the east.
make the trip upstream .
required channelization and levies to improve
The inventio n of the steamship and the further
navigation. However, the Upper Miss issi pp i River was
refinement of a ship designed to ply the Mississippi
too steep with insufficient year~round flow for this
River made more of the river navigable more of the
solution. The proposal of slackwater pools created
time. As travel and commerce increased along the river,
by the locks and dams offered an answer for this
the demand for navigation improvements was
portion of the river .
answered by Congress. With the General Survey of 1824, the army engineers were authorized to make these im provements, culminating in the 9-Foot Channel
'
R
The locks and dams like the one you see here work
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together. The dam holds bock water creating the
and the locks and Dams system of today on the Upper Mississippi River.
•'
pools and the lock acts as an escalator or stairway moving the vessels up or down to the next pool.
US Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District
THE LOCK AND DAM NO. 1 STORY
All barge lrallic was halted in August 1929 when the lower lock gate fa iled . To ensure against future interuptions and in ant ici pation of a 9-foot channel
Navigation on this stretch of the river in its natural state
between Minneapolis and St. Louis, the deci sion was
upstre am from St. Poul to Minneapolis was hazardous.
made to build twin lock chambers. The first lock
During high flows, the current was swift, and during low
--the riverward lock-- was completed in 1930 and
flows, huge boulders made nav igation almost impossible.
the second --the landward lock -- wa s placed into
It wasn 't until after development of the locks and dams here
operation in 1932.
that the transport of flour and groin from Minneapolis to the Gulf of Mexico, and coal and bulk products from downriver to Minneapolis, become possible. Development began when a group of Minneapolis businessmen led by a territorial judge formed the Mississippi River Improvement and Manufacturing Company for the purpose of obtaining permission
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to construct a lock and dam below St. Anthony Falls, on Meeker Island. Legislation was passed for this purpose in 1857.
On July 3, 1917, lock and Dam No.I, with hydroelectric capability of 15,200 horsepower, was opened for navigation. Six years aher completion, a lease was
The project was surrounded by controversy for the
negociated with the Ford Motor Corporation for
next 30 years with opinions being divided over its
utilization of the dam's power capabilities.
company was unable to settle internal strife, the
Between 1917 and 192S, the upper pool was used
people using the river for navigation along with
project was turned over to the Corps of Engineers.
primaily by pleasure craft; the main reason being
supplying the capability for hydro-electric power.
the lack of adequate terminals and turning basins.
As the years passed the need arose for major
Meeker Island Dam, the first official lock & Dam
lo~k
a
!ll1•otliot.,•IOP••"•nl1M11v..-lromllowlnglh•o"'gh..
lock and Dam No. 1 continued to serve the needs of
future implications. When it appeared that the
. .gln11 ln9• of lhe lodr .t.o... b.t- ol
Wodtonth• Hi11h Oomn•<H1Compl••lon · no••tll•cofl.,dam1ut....,ndl119
No. 2, a couple of miles upstream from here, became
rehabilatation work to be done on the lock structure.
operational in May, 1907.
Monies were appropriated and work began in 1976.
Oom No . I on Mar 22, 1907
By this time, authorization had already been received
from Congress (in 1899) to construct lock and Dam No. 1 which was to eventually submerge the recently
completed lock and Dam No. 2 at Meeker Island. Through the vigorous efforts of Major Schunk, the District Engineer, and local supporters, approval was received from Congress to alter the structure and
US Army Corps
plans for lock and Dam No. 1 to enable production
lof Engineers
of hydro-electric generation. The height of the lock was increased lo 30 feel in 1910 lo allow for this . The.,cr1001fro,.,allt. too6h.ch0ftn1lreq\li<1dlow ..,119lhe
floor ol 1h1 lod1 cho"'ber; photo
n.
llPl>"'••M0111ly 1911
St Paul District
CH ANNEL MAI NTENANCE Day in and day out, the Mississippi River shifts its load of sand and sediment. Tributaries along the way also contribute their loads of sand and sediment to the Mississippi River. Some of this material is often dropped in the 9-foot deep channel and must be removed by dredging to keep
Weather plays a major role in determining dredging needs. In dry years, dredging
the river open for navigation. Dredging is the process of picking up or excavating underwater material.
requirements are low because the river bottom tends to stabilize in the absence of high, fast water flow. In a wet year much material will be deposited during snow
The sand and sediment which is introduced into the main channel comes from the
Dredge Thompson with Booster Borge Mullen
pumping sand at island near Reads Landing, Pool 4 .
uplands and streambanks. Heavy rains and spring runoff, fed by snow melt, wash sediment from farm fields into streams and into the Mississippi River. Meanwhile,
melt and runoff, and dredging needs will increase sharply. The amount of annual dredging necessary in the St. Paul District can vary from 100,000 to over a million cubic yards. Usually less than five percent
flowing water scours the unst a ble riverbanks of the outsides of bends and collects and
of the main channel is dredged each year.
transports sediment downstream where it it is eventually deposited on the insides of bends in the navigation channel. As this deposited material builds out into the river, it restricts the main channel, which must be
The Corps of Engineers favors the use of Nine foot navigation channel on the Upper Mississippi River.
non-polluted dredge material in ways that are creative, constructive and useful. It promotes the use of the material as landfill in construction of commercial and residential buildings, development of parks, creation of islands for recreation and environmental enhancement, the redirection of water circulation, the replenishment of beach areas
widened and deepened by dredging to
fo r summer road maintenance and for ice control control.
~
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..... :.-..,,,,,._ Drawing showing the Dredge Thompson restoring the channel.
winte~
US Army Corps of Engineers
.:,
_, Dredge William A. Thompson in tow.
Recreation UM of a dredge island.
St. Paul District
The lack of commercial traffic on the river between
ROLLIN' ON THE RIVER
1914 and 1940 was blamed on the scarcity of terminals and the small channel. River transportation advocates argued that compatibility with the 9 - foot channels on
The arrival of the stea mboat ' Virginia ' in 1823 at
the Lower Mississipp i, the Ohio, and Illinois was crucial for the Upper Mississippi. The 9 · foot channel project was
Fort Snelling marked the beginning of commercial navigation on the Upper Mississippi River. The
beginning to toke shape. Political and business interests were outraged by Corps of Engineers Major Hall 's report
greatest obstacles to travel on the Upper Mississippi
that a 9-foot channel was not economically feasible .
w ere the rapids at Rock Island and at Des Moines. The shallo w wat er over these rocks inspired Captain
The report was sent back for further stu dy. It become
Culver to develop the flat bottom cargo boot or barge. The next 50 years were the golden age of steamboats
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lliv• 1 "' ~ Guom• o plD\'fl•Ou•ul 10< l>unlin!J, fi11i.,. 1 011 0 •lvh11 ..1,.1
on the river.
clear that President Hoover 's view of the Upper Mississi pp i River included a 9 · foot channel and several locks and dam s.
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In 1854 th e first railroad reached the river at The 9-foot channel was author ize d in 1930 and resulted in a major change in the look of and the life
Davenport, Iowa, and, ironically, contributed to the grow th of river traffic. The boats moved shi pments
on the river. The choice was made; this almost free
north and south and the roils moved shi pments east
flowing flowing river was changed into a series of
and we st. The river become famous for excursions and
pools or lakes to be regulated mostly for rivet traffic. By circumstance, not intent, the construction of the locks and dams proved beneficial to wildlife and
fashionable tours. But the end of the excursion and packet trade began in the 1870's when the first northsou th roils were constructed.
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fish. The effects of the 9 -foot channel proiect include an improved and increased diversity of habitats with larger areas of wetlands and marshes resulting in o
Small excursion enterprises Hou rished and the
After the Civil War, the Government began making navigation improvements. In 1877, the Corps of Engineers built the Des Moines Rapids Canal, and in
river became a playground for hunting, fishing and sightseeing. A strong conservation movement developed, culminating in the creation of the Upper
the years 1871 to 1900 the Corps built thousands of wing dams and closing dams on the Upper Mississippi in the
Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge in 1924.
development of the 4 1/2-foot channel.
Most of the traffic on the river at this time was due to the Corps raising the stone and brush wing dams for
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c..... m...Otol"'CJ~V•ll>•cconunerUol.u1•oflh•riv••
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larger, healthier resource .
l bootorkio•1•
the 6-loot channel which was authorized in 1907.
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Wluon1!n wei• flooted dow11 th•
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But the river was choked with the logs from the northern woods of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Over 15 billion feet of lumber were floated down the river.
The logging peaked in 1892 with 87 sawmills on the shores of the Mississippi River. Between 1855 and 1905 this valuable resource was virtually logged off. When the lumber industry ran out of trees in 1914, the
Sl•om•OOI rh• SI Poul'•"" ol lh•footof Jodoso" She...; 1fl lh•9en.,olor•ooltodoy'1lomb.,i,lol'ldkl9.
Today, the river is a fluid life line used for navigation, recreation, and wildlife. The mony people and industry along the banks depend on the river for water supply. The balanced approach to management used by the
river was no longer fundioning as a transportation
Corps of Engineers insures that this valuable national resource will continue to flourish for generations
system.
to come.
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