(MINNEISKA, Minn.) — A special user trust fund that pays for some repairs at Lock and Dam 5 and other facilities on the Upper Mississippi River is running out of money, the Post-Bulletin newspaper of Rochester reported. The Army Corps of Engineers find it more difficult to find funding for long-term projects because its own budget remains relatively flat. Towboat operators pay a surcharge on each gallon of fuel to enrich the trust fund, but it’s running low.
