Leave the lock at a slow speed. The approaches to the lock are considered no wake areas. Government craft and regularly scheduled passenger craft have priority. There is no charge for locking through. Special Hazards Towboats, wing dams, and stumpfields constitute special hazards for recreational boaters on the Mississippi River.
Towboats can create large waves and strong currents.
Recreational boaters should stay clear. There is a blind area directly in front of barges, and since a towboat may require a half-mile or more to stop, this area should be avoided. Wing dams are enlongated piles of rock or concrete placed by the US Army Corps of Engineers to help control the direction of channel flow. At certain river levels they may be submerged and can pose a danger to boaters. Wing dams are not buoyed, but a line of rolling ripples on the surface of the water may indicate a wing dam is just below the surface.