Mississippi River

Wabasha spoiling for dredge fight

Jul 20, 2017

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has again extended the comment period for a controversial plan for managing dredged material at the southern end of Lake Pepin. The City of Wabasha meanwhile has vowed to fight a plan it claims would harm families and businesses there. The new deadline is...

Corps dredge plan comment period extended

Jun 29, 2017

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is extending the public comment period for its draft Environmental Assessment for its Lower Pool 4 dredged material management plan until July 14. The Corps decided to extend the public comment period after listening to community concerns about...

Letter: Public good comes at personal cost

Jun 14, 2017

To the editor: We just returned from trip to Michigan, including car ferry Manitowoc, Wis., to Ludington, Wis., and eventually to Michigan’s upper peninsula (very engaging and rewarding). Reviewing mail, I noticed May 25 Graphic piece “Group details Lake Pepin habitat enhancement.” This is good...

Barges run aground near Lake City

Apr 13, 2017

A photo submitted by Cory Gagnon shows barges run aground on the rocks lining Highway 61 north of Lake City on the morning of April 6. The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the grounding. Chief Gregory Steiger said no injuries were reported and no pollution was released. The barges that ran aground...

First barge arrives on Lake Pepin

Mar 16, 2017

The first tow of the season, Stephen L Colby passed through Lake Pepin upbound with 12 barges overnight on Wednesday, March 8, according to Larry Nielson, who submitted this photo of the boat tied up just below Lake Pepin near Reads Landing early in the morning because of the high winds. She spent...

Eagle floats near Reads

Feb 23, 2017

Lake City photographer Ben Threinen captured this and other images of eagles floating near Reads Landing Saturday.

In 'Pursuing Awe,' Nielson documents a 'personal mission'

Feb 2, 2017

Area resident Larry Nielson last month published a book entitled “Pursuing Awe, Celebrating Nature along the Mississippi River.” Nielson is a businessman, real estate broker, and riverboat captain who owns and operates Lake City’s authentic paddlewheeler, Pearl of the Lake. His book features...

Commercial lock traffic up in 2016

Jan 18, 2017

A big increase in commercial traffic last year kept lockages at the two Army Corps of Engineers locks nearest to Lake Pepin at or above their 10-year average. The corps’ lock and dam 3 near Red Wing was slightly above the 10-year average for combined lockages. Corps staff supported 4,943 lockages...

Dredging Planned by Corps near Chippewa

Nov 23, 2016

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is hosting public meetings in Cochrane, Wis., and Wabasha Dec. 14 and 15 to discuss its planning efforts to manage Mississippi River dredged material between the Chippewa River and Lock and Dam 5, located near Minnesota City, Minn.The meeting...

City moves on lakefront study

Nov 17, 2016

The City Council voted 5-2 Monday night to spend $39,000 on planning work from the city’s waterfront and downtown area. A St. Paul company, Stantec, will do the work. The company was selected by the Planning Commission after reviewing three applications. The company has carried out waterfront...