The locks and dams along the Mississippi River in Wisconsin were
built in the 1930s. They were rehabilitated in the 1980s and
'90s, but many officials say the system needs major upgrades.
But that would cost millions of dollars, with no money in sight
to pay for it. At Lock and Dam 5 in Minnesota City, a towboat
from the Port of St. Louis pushes barges through the lock.
Deckhands work quickly to slow the vessels down with giant ropes
that are stretched to the max. This is just one of the twenty-
nine locks on the upper Mississippi River. Barges pass through
the locks, delivering cargo like salt and iron to Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, grains and soybeans are exported from the region off
to the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. The Army Corps of Engineers
began building the system in the 1930s and officials say major
upgrades were needed years ago. “My fear is that it’s going to
take a major lock disaster before eyes are open and action is
taken," says Congressman Ron Kind of La Crosse. He echoes a
phrase heard time and agai