Minneapolis Locks Re-Open for Commercial Traffic

From TwinCites.com:

The St. Paul District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this morning opened three locks along the Mississippi River to commercial barge traffic.

River levels have been steadily falling for about a week. The locks are expected to open to recreational traffic Monday.

The Upper St. Anthony Falls and Lower St. Anthony Falls locks in downtown Minneapolis and Lock 1 near Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis were closed earlier this month after the district determined the high waters were unsafe for navigation.

The river rose to a spring high of 19.01 feet in St. Paul March 29 — the eighth highest on record. The river also saw a second crest of 18.71 feet April 11.

At 9:15 this morning, the river was at 15.65 feet. It's expected to drop below flood stage — 14 feet — Friday or Saturday.