ALMA, Wis. – A Mississippi River towboat crashed into the dam at the Alma dam while approaching dock next to Highway 35. No one on the tow or the lock was hurt, according to Buffalo County deputies. No fuel was thought to have leaked. Not lost either was commodity petroleum in the barges being towed.The towboat Susan J. Gundlach, was headed downstream into the lock when apparently it was caught in the high and fast flow from spring run-off. The crew evacuated safely after switching off power on the vessel , which was helplessly jammed into the dam. The accident was shortly after 11 p.m. The Canal Barge Company of New Orleans, owner of the towboat, was called to dislodge the catawampus vessel from the lock. The Army Corps, which, operates Lock and Dam 4 at Alma, was unsure how long the lock would remain jammed.
Passage blocked. The lock is 110 feet across. A full tow of barges, strapped three abreast, is 105 feet wide. Navigating into the lock requires precise maneuvering.
Canal Barge profile
The company, family-owned, was founded in 1933. The company operates 51 towboats on the Mississippi, Ohio and Illinois rivers. The company has 1,000 employees. About itself, the company tells shippers: “Whether you’re moving petrochemicals, refined products, black oils, lube oils or asphalt, Canal Barge’s experienced and highly skilled workforce delivers on the promise of safe and efficient liquid cargo transportation.”
Lock 4A profile
The 600-foot single-lane lock, in Alma, raises and lowers river traffic seven feet. It is part of a 6,800-foot dam that includes 1,370 feet of movable gates and 5,500 of erth fill dike. The lock and dam opened \1935. It is part of aa string of 29 dams that facilitate barge traffic in the Upper Mississippi and provide limited flood control.