Flood sediment shuts Mississippi River shipping near Winona

This summer's flooding has brought shipping to a halt along several places on the Mississippi River.

Flood water sediment filled in the 9-foot shipping channel near Winona and near Wabasha and there isn't enough water for tows and barges to pass through now, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"When the water is that high, it's moving a lot of sediment around and it doesn't give us a chance to dredge," said Steve Tapp, operations manager with the Army Corps. "If we go out and try to dredge during that high water, it's just filling the holes in as we're digging them. I've been doing this for 25 years and I haven't seen conditions like this."

Officials hope to have the channel back open and resume shipping in early August, although low water could delay the opening further.

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