Dredge Goetz, its crew of more than 50 men and women, support equipment and craft is continuing to march forward, getting everything ready to hit the Upper Mississippi in the next week and get to work keeping the river open for commerce.
Like most other activities, normal routines from past dredge seasons have been altered by COVID-19, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ St. Paul District in their latest announcement. .
For the crew, prescribed social distancing guidelines will be followed, constant disinfecting will be a chore endured by many and the galley is finalizing a their process for food handling, serving and cleaning.
The Dredge Goetz maintains 850 miles of the Upper Mississippi River, 355 miles of the Illinois River and 24 miles of the St. Croix River.