Projects & Studies
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Critical Infrastructure Security Program (CISP)
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Dam Bridge and Gate Painting: Upper St. Anthony Falls through Lock and Dam 10
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East Two Rivers at Tower, Minnesota
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Effects of Recreational Boating on the Upper Mississippi River System
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General Investigations: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission(FERC) Licensing
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General Investigations: Hydropower, Crown Hydro, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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General Investigations: Hydropower, Ford Plant, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Hydropower, LSAF Hydro, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Hydropower, Lock and Dam 2, Hastings, Minnesota
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Hydropower, Upper St. Anthony Falls, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Integrated Watershed Study: Minnesota River Basin in Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Iowa
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Lock & Dam 10 Stage 2
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Lock Tow Haulage Units
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Lock and Dam 4 Embankment Environmental Assessment
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Locks and Dams 2 - 10, Embankment Maintenance Study
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Lower Pool 4 Channel and Dredged Material Management Study
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McMillan Island, Mississippi River Channel Maintenance
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Minnesota River Navigation Project
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Mississippi Headwaters Reservoirs Dam Safety Issues
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Mississippi Headwaters Reservoirs Project Sites
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Mississippi River Locks and Dams Nos. 2-10 Embankment Rehabilitation
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Mississippi River Major Maintenance / Rehabilitation
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Mississippi River: Lock & Dam 3 Navigation Safety and Embankments, Minnesota and Wisconsin
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Navigation and Environmental Sustainability Program (NESP)
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Navigation, Mississippi River, Lock Bulkheads and Slot Installation, Minn/Wisc/Iowa
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Operation and Maintenance, Lock and Dam 10 Stage 2
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Reconnaissance Study: Minnesota River Basin in MN, SD, IA and ND
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Recreational Boating Study of the Mississippi River, Pools 4 to 9, Summer 2003
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River Resource Values and Expectation
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Small-Boat Harbor Dredging, St. Paul, Minnesota (Harbor Dredging)
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St. Croix River: Endangered Mussel Conservation - Zebra Mussel Control
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Upper Mississippi River - Illinois Waterway System Navigation Study
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Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Project - Locks & Dams
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Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Project Channel Maintenance; MN, WI, IA
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Warroad Harbor and River Harbor Dredging
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Dam Bridge and Gate Painting: Upper St. Anthony Falls through Lock and Dam 10
Location/Description
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The St. Paul District operates and maintains 13 locks and dams from Upper St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis to Lock and Dam 10 in Guttenberg, Iowa. Each lock and dam represents a critical step in the "stairway of water" that makes navigation possible between Minneapolis and St. Louis.
These facilities are aging structures, with Locks and Dams 2 through 10 originally constructed in the 1930s. These sites include a dam bridge and varying numbers of dam gates. The dam gates are one of the most critical components at the sites, because they are manipulated on a daily basis to maintain proper pool elevation for navigation, environmental considerations, water supply and flood control purposes. The dam bridges support the gate operating machinery.
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Status
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When originally constructed, the steel dam bridges and gates used lead-based paint for corrosion protection. Typically, the gates are partially submerged in flowing water and subjected to abrasion from sediment and debris (trees and ice) carried by the river. These factors have degraded the paint systems – diminishing their protection of the dam bridge and gate structures. This degradation has contributed to significant corrosion of the gates and, consequently, an escalating backlog of needed repairs.
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In addition to the degradation of the paint systems described above, elimination of the original lead-based paint is required to protect the environment and personnel from harmful effects. This work has been accomplished on all gates and all but five bridges – which have not been painted since their original construction in the 1930s. The life expectancy of modern paint systems ranges from 15 to 25 years
Protecting the nation's substantial investment in this critical component of the inland waterways infrastructure through preventive maintenance is prudent – particularly when replacement costs are considered.
The importance of a proactive bridge and dam gate painting program cannot be overemphasized. It is essential to protect these critical facilities to ensure that the navigation system remains functional and to minimize annual costs.
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Fiscal
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The average cost (in today's dollars) of painting and repairing corrosion is estimated at $5 million per site. The St. Paul District has been unable to award a painting contract for several years because of funding constraints.
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[Printable Copy]
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