The Motor Vessel Stephen L. Colby passed through Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minnesota, Thursday at approximately 6 a.m, marking what the Army Corps of Engineers calls the unofficial start of the navigation season, because it means all of its locks are accessible to commercial and recreational vessels. The Colby was pushing 12 barges en route to St. Paul, Minnesota. The earliest date for an up-bound tow to reach Lock and Dam 2 was March 4, in 1983, 1984 and 2000. The average start date of the navigation season is March 22. The first tow to reach Lock and Dam 2 in 2016 was the Ronald Wagonblast. She was locked through March 13, 2016. Photo provided by the Army Corps of Engineers.
