Welcome to Lock and Dam No. 1
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The Federal Engineer

Welcome to Lock and Dam No. 1, also, The Federal Engineer. . , Welcome to Lock and Dam No. 1. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cordially welcomes you to the Lock and Dam No. 1 Visitor Promenade, a self-paced walking tour of this structure. This walk averages 45 minutes and offers a bird's eye view of the lock chambers. There are interpretive displays on river users, how a lock works, river wildlife and river people. The river wall contains equipment and machinery from the old lock. Please enjoy yourself., Lock and Dam No. 1 is one of 29 lock and dams along the Upper Mississippi River. These 29 locks and dams form the 9-foot Navigation Channel allowing for travel of barges and tows from St. Anthony Falls to the Gulf of Mexico and making Minneapolis - St. Paul a major trade and transshipment center to the world., Recreation craft, ranging from canoes and power boats to floating palace excursion boats, also benefit from this structural solution to the rapids, rocks, and snags which formerly threatened to destroy the vessels that braved this river., The Federal Engineer. The present U.S. Corps of Engineers was established in 1802 in conjunction with the Congressional authorization to organize a military academy to educate engineers at West Point, N. Y., Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park., During the Civil War, Army engineers were responsible for ensuring the safe movement of men and supplies. After the war, the Corps returned to managing our water resources, improving rivers and harbors. In the 1850's, the Corps constructed the Library of Congress and completed the Washington Monument. In the 1870's and 80's, these surveyors mapped the Yellowstone region and pioneered the conservation efforts that led to Yellowstone National Park., Apollo 11/Saturn V nearing launch pad 39A., As the country grew, Army engineers helped in the construction of forts and were responsible for surveying and exploring the West. In 1824, Congress initiated the Corps civil works program. Snagging and clearing operations began on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers; lighthouses were built on the Great Lakes., There was work to be done outside of our nation as well. After the first attempt to build the Panama Canal failed, in 1914 the Corps stepped in and completed the project. During this century, the Corps has served the Nation in times of peace and war fighting both floods and foes, and continually improving our waterways for navigation. In the early 1960's, Corps efforts were also directed to the race for the moon, chosen by NASA to be the construction agent., The Washington Monument., From the Nation's waterways to the exploration of the moon, the Corps has continued in its efforts at home and abroad as the federal engineer., Pedro Miguel Locks, Panama Canal, 1914.