The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is hosting an open house at Lock and Dam 1 on the Mississippi River near Minneapolis, Sept. 27.
Corps officials are hosting the free event from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., to allow people to get a behind-the-scenes view of the site while also getting a better understanding of what the staff do to ensure safe, reliable navigation.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is celebrating 250 years of service to the nation throughout 2025. The organization was established on June 16, 1775, when the Continental Congress appointed the first chief engineer to lead the construction of military fortifications and infrastructure.
In addition to the open house, Corps staff and partners will have a variety of water safety activities on site. Visitors will have an opportunity to see some of the boats that are used on the river as well as learn about the importance of wearing a life jacket while on the water.
Lock and Dam 1, located at 5000 West River Parkway in Minneapolis, was built in 1917 and reconstructed in 1929. The dam consists of an Ambursen concrete overflow structure 574 feet long with an attached hydro power station, currently owned and operated by Brookfield Power Company. The lock chamber is 56 feet wide by 400 feet long. Lock and Dam 1 is the only twin lock in the St. Paul District.
The St. Paul District navigation program provides a safe, reliable, cost-effective and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation system on the Upper Mississippi River for the movement of commercial goods and for national security needs. To do this, the district maintains a 9-foot navigation channel and 13 locks and dams from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. Keeping this system open is vital to the nation’s economy. Nearly 11 million tons of commodities were shipped or received within the St. Paul District in 2024.
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