Lock and Dam at Alma Closed Due to Flooding on Mississippi River
St. Paul, Mn (KROC-AM News) - Rising water levels on the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota have prompted the US Army Corps of Engineers to shut down Lock and Dam 4 near Alma, Wisconsin.
The move affects both commercial and recreational river traffic. The federal agency also says Lock and Dam 3 near Red Wing is expected to be closed to all navigation as soon as tomorrow. Both facilities are expected to be shut down for about a week, but the Army Corps of Engineers says the exact timing will be determined by water levels and when it is safe to resume navigation.
The latest Mississippi River Spring Flood report from the National Weather Service predicts the river will crest at Lake City Saturday afternoon at about 2 1/2 feet over flood stage. At Wabasha, the river is currently over 3 feet above flood stage and is forecast to crest late Saturday night at just under 16 feet. That would be 4 feet over flood stage and just below the level where major flooding occurs.
Downriver at Winona, the Mississippi River is expected to peak late Monday night at the bottom end of the major flooding range. The crest is currently forecast to reach 18 feet, which would be 5 feet above flood stage.
The National Weather Service cautions that any additional precipitation could significantly impact the flood crest predictions. As of today, the water levels are expected to remain a couple of feet below the crests from 2001 when the Mississippi River rose to the second-highest levels ever recorded. The worst spring flood on record occurred in April 1965.
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