Corps of Engineers to host an open house at Lock and Dam 2

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is hosting an open house at Lock and Dam 2 on the Mississippi River in Hastings, Minnesota, on Saturday, July 20.

Corps officials are hosting the free event from 10—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 open house will coincide with Hastings’ Rivertown Days celebration.

In addition to the open house, Corps staff and partners will have a variety of water safety booths and displays 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 2 is located at 1350 Lock and Dam Road in Hastings. The lock was built in 1930 and rebuilt in 1948.

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. More than 74 million tons of commodities were shipped in the Upper Mississippi River in 2023. The industries making these shipments saved approximately $430 million by using the inland waterways instead of overland shipping methods.