WINONA — Barge traffic on the Mississippi River at Winona reached its highest level in a dozen years last month.

Winona economic development director Lucy McMartin says the increased traffic is likely due to shippers catching up from commercial channel closures in July. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers conducted emergency dredging operations at Winona and Wabasha because the heavy spring rain dumped copious amounts of sediment into the upper Mississippi.

The total number of barges stopping at Winona in August reached 176. The Winona Daily Newssays the last time traffic was that high was 2002, which it reached 170 barges.