Lower St Croix navigation bouy’s

Was told by a reliable source that they pulled all the navigational markers off the lower Croix. Anyone know why?

The ones by the Kinikinik and Afton were gone a week ago but I have no idea why.

I heard it was because they determined that it wasn’t navigational waters? Doesn’t make sense.

Kinni channel markers were there on August 17th. They were gone in Afton.

Yeah kinni markers were there Friday, but I think all the ones between there and bluffs were gone now that I think about it

I’ve never seen a nav marker between St Croix bluffs and the kinni, maybe I just don’t pay attention in the wide open out there? I was at the kinni today, ran up from Prescott. Everything seemed normal to me I guess but I haven’t been north of the kinni in probably 2 months so can’t speak to that part.

Buzz wrote:

I heard it was because they determined that it wasn’t navigational waters? Doesn’t make sense.

Correct. The lower St Croix is no longer used for shipping. No more coal to NSP. The new Bridge construction kept the Croix a “navigable” river.

Be careful. North of Hudson swing bridge, Catfish bar. Black bass point. Afton state park.

I have seen many boats hit the sandbar at Catfish. It happened a lot with the green cans in place.

KPE wrote:

I’ve never seen a nav marker between St Croix bluffs and the kinni, maybe I just don’t pay attention in the wide open out there? I was at the kinni today, ran up from Prescott. Everything seemed normal to me I guess but I haven’t been north of the kinni in probably 2 months so can’t speak to that part.

You may be right, I may be crazy.

Was thinking there could have been a couple on main points between there but couldn’t remember. I might just be mixing them up with no-wake buoys.

The St Croix River near mile marker 6 at the Kinnickinnic Bar is currently experiencing severe shoaling restricting the ability of USCGC WYACONDA to safely transit the river to service the aids to navigation. After consultation with the River Industry Advisory Committee and US Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard removed aids to navigation that were discrepant or presenting a misleading navigational signal to avoid the advertisement of inaccurate navigation information. Due to the shoaling, the Coast Guard cannot mark a navigable channel to the federal project dimensions in this area.
Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River is engaged with the US Army Corps of Engineers in the goal of completing a hydrographic survey to assess the channel. Safety information for the river will be advertised in the USCG Sector Upper Mississippi River Broadcast Notice to Mariners and USCG Eighth District Local Notice to Mariners.
The Coast Guard is committed to facilitating safe and efficient navigation for mariners and will continue to monitor the river as the situation develops.
For additional information, please contact the Western Rivers Command Center at 314-269-2332. You may also contact the Coast Guard Eighth District Waterways Office, (504) 671-2327, 7:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. (CST), or email [email protected].
Respectfully,
LCDR Meilyn Quitiquit
CG-NAV-1
2703 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE
Washington, DC 20593

There is a major concern about the sandbar at Afton. Without it being marked there will be problems.

Buzz wrote:

There is a major concern about the sandbar at Afton. Without it being marked there will be problems.

And the rock pile.

Navionics ect had the cans marked but not everyone uses a chart plotter and as in the previous post, they might not be accurate.

I sent a letter to the CG yesterday of a sail boat stuck in the sand for 2 hours until a friendly boater pulled them off.

People been getting hung up in kinni narrows for several years now, since the kinni River flooded and puked out all that sand and wood.
Definitely not big boat territory anymore but they’ll continue trips through the narrows and continue to run aground. Some people you cannot help.

Do wish they’d dredge that back to what it once was. Fishing used to be real good there before that major change. Biggest change I’ve seen on the croix in 10 years no question.

One would think that if they had a vessel that went up and removed them, that it could be used to bring them back.

Right??

Buzz, that was my first thought to… but they can’t seem to get a vessel up there to take depth readings to know where to place them.
All the boats on the Mississippi rigged for depth measurement certainly wouldn’t have a problem.

FBRM, the Kinni is now a choke point for the St Croix (since the shoaling you mentioned). It’s holding large boats back from going up stream a visiting Afton and Stillwater. It’s holding the folks up stream from going to the Metro Area, Treasure Island, Diamond Bluff, Donut Island, Red Wing and most of, all any other place in the rest of the world.

Last I heard is if a person hugs the MN shore, there will be 6 or so feet of water. Assuming no ones anchored fishing there.

Dang so that big sandbar in Afton is no longer marked?? Yikes. Glad I have my most recent routes saved in my Garmin I was hoping to take a fall trip up to Stillwater with my wife sometime when the leaves start to change. Thanks for bringing this up fellas, I would have been one of those guys that runs over the sandbar no doubt.