Corps of Engineers releases 2023 navigation stats

By Elizabeth StoeckmannDecember 13, 2023

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, released its 2023 navigation statistics for the Upper Mississippi River today.

The 2023 navigation season unofficially ended Nov. 23, after the Motor Vessel W. Red Harris departed St. Paul, Minnesota. The 2023 navigation season started March 12 when the Motor Vessel Philip M. Pfeffer broke its way through the ice of Lake Pepin to travel to St. Paul, Minnesota.

Navigation statistics fluctuate from year to year, depending on the weather, river flows and the length of the navigation season. The St. Paul District maintains a 9-foot navigation channel from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Guttenberg, Iowa. Keeping this system open is vital to the nation’s economy.