Army Corps of Engineers staff locked the Motor Vessel Crockett through Lock and Dam 2 in Hastings, Minnesota, this week, with two additional barges en route to St. Paul, Minnesota. She was immediately followed by four additional tows. The lockages marked the unofficial start to the navigation season because the lock and dam is the last one before reaching St. Paul.
The average first tow arrives around the third week in March. The earliest date for a tow to reach St. Paul occurred on March 4 in 1983, 1984, and 2000. Keeping the Mississippi River navigation system open is critical for the nation’s economy. A 15-barge tow is the equivalent of more than 1,050 semi-trailers or 200 rail cars. One barge can carry more than 50,000 bushels of wheat, enough to make 2.1 million loaves of bread. Shipping commodities on the river saves money and ultimately helps reduce grocery store costs.
