St. Anthony Falls dams. In this 2008 panorama, looking downstream, are both the Upper and Lower St Anthony Falls dams and locks.

Nil commercial barge traffic these days

MINNEAPOLIS — The Army Corps of Engineers is fine-tuning a study on the ramifications of ripping out its uppermost lock-dam structures on the Mississippi River, both in Minneapolis. In a new status report, the Corps says its goal is to make a recommendation to Congress. perhaps as early as 2025, on whether it’s in the federal interest to continue ownership of the dams and to maintain a navigation channel for barges. The locks have no commercial traffic any more except voters and an occasional tourist boat on a day cruise. The study already has examined issues of navigation, hydropower and recreation. Next is an environmental assessment required by law.