More than 120 people gathered along the banks of the Mississippi River in Bay City, Wisconsin, to celebrate the groundbreaking of a multi-year effort to improve habitat within Lake Pepin May 16.
The Mississippi River Upper Pool 4 habitat project is a nearly $27 million project, with more than $20 million in contributions from the Corps of Engineers, and one of the first in the nation to use river sand from the Mississippi River navigation channel and backwaters to improve habitat.
The project is one of 10 to initially receive the green light under the authority of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016, said Tom Novak, project manager. He added that the project is the culmination of years of cooperation among several agencies at every level of government.
“This project is a testament to what can be accomplished when everyone works together,” Novak said. “The project is a victory for our navigation mission, the environment and the communities and people that rely on the Mississippi River for everything from water to recreation, tourism and beyond.”
The project is like other habitat improvement projects but is unique in its funding delivery. Novak said the Section 1122 authority provides the Corps of Engineers an opportunity to beneficially use river sand previously dredged from the navigation channel to improve habitat. “I like to think of this as a win-win solution,” Novak said. “We not only ensure the navigation channel remains open for safe operation, but we also gain storage capacity for future dredging operations while also improving the environment.”
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers echoed Novak’s sentiments on the value of the project to the community and the environment. “We are grateful for all of the partners that have worked together to develop each feature of this dynamic pilot project,” Evers said. “Projects like this are a great example of what we can accomplish when we make this work a priority.”
Col. Eric Swenson, St. Paul District commander, expanded even further on the value of the project and its impact to the region. He said the pilot program was focused on protecting, restoring and creating aquatic ecosystem habitat, stabilizing stream systems and enhancing shorelines, promoting recreation and public safety, and reducing the cost of dredging and dredged material placement. “I can safely say that this project achieves all of those goals,” Swenson said. “Together, we plan to utilize up to 300,000 cubic yards of [river sand] from Lower Pool 4 alone to improve the ecosystem here at the head of Lake Pepin.”
Rylee Hince, Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance executive direction, said the groundbreaking was an exciting accomplishment for all the partners. Having worked on the plan for more than nine years, Hince said one of the key highlights for her in developing the project was when she realized how many municipalities were willing to provide funding for the project. “This [project] is going to benefit both Minnesota and Wisconsin, and the habitat that exists between them,” Hince said. “I am so honored to be a part of it.” Hince added that in addition to the Corps of Engineers’ financial contributions, funding was also provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council; Pepin County, Wisconsin; village of Bay City; village of Stockholm, Wisconsin; city of Red Wing, Minnesota; Ducks Unlimited; and the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance.
Some of the key features of the project include building peninsulas, access dredging, and shoreline protection near Bay City at the head of Lake Pepin. The improvements will support fish and wildlife habitat. The contractor, LS Marine, Inc., of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, is scheduled to begin construction this summer with an estimated completion of 2027.
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| Date Taken: | 06.12.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2023 14:48 |
| Story ID: | 447063 |
| Location: | BAY CITY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Lake Pepin groundbreaking ceremony kickstarts habitat improvement project, by Patrick Moes, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
