Corps of Engineers temporarily closes West Newton Chute boat landing

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will close the West Newton Chute boat landing on the Mississippi River near Kellogg, Minnesota, around July 6.

The contractor, Legacy Corporation out of East Moline, Illinois, will mobilize to the area and move river sand from the Above Fisher Island placement site at river mile 745.8 in Pool 5 through the West Newton Chute boat landing to the Rolling Prairie permanent upland placement site, near Kellogg, Minnesota. Operations are expected to continue for 6-7 weeks. The West Newton Chute boat ramp, parking area and all public areas will be closed to the public for the duration of the process.

The Corps of Engineers is working in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to ensure the boat landing area remains closed off during the construction process. The water areas will not be closed; however, large tow boats and barges will be in the vicinity. Boaters are urged to use extreme caution around this area and to always wear your life jacket.The public is urged to follow all posted closures and safety instructions.

Removing river sand from the temporary placement site to the permanent site will free up room at the temporary placement site for future dredging activities to maintain the 9 ft navigation channel.

The St. Paul District maintains a 9-foot navigation channel from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. Keeping this system open is vital to the nation’s economy. In 2025, Corps staff supported the movement of over 5.6 million tons of commodities at Lock and Dam 3, near Welch, Minnesota. These commodities include corn, soybeans, fertilizer and cement. The tonnage is the equivalent of around 3,200 barges or 224,000 tractor trailers or 51,000 rail cars.

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