Posted on January 8, 2018
By David L. Brommerich, Winona Daily News
The Army Corps of Engineers says it will go public this summer with a revised plan for managing disposal of sand dredged from the Mississippi River around Alma and Wabasha.
A controversial sand management plan released last spring drew opposition from landowners, residents and governmental bodies in Wabasha and Buffalo counties.
A 40-year proposed plan that identified temporary and permanent sand deposit sites on private agricultural lands in both counties was later scrapped.
The Corps of Engineers intended to release a new draft plan proposal by Dec. 15, but said it was unable to meet the deadline.
The Army Corps said it continued to review alternatives and was working with partners and the City of Wabasha to explore options that would minimize impacts on local communities.
Early plans considered by the Corps of Engineers identified permanent placement of sand on prime agricultural land in both counties.
Sites chosen for off-loading and trucking of sand to placement sites were viewed as disruptive to residential areas and increasing truck traffic on both the Wisconsin and Minnesota sides of the river.
Sand management studies for disposal of dredged material from Lower Pool 4 of the Mississippi River were necessary to keep a 9-foot channel open for river navigation.
The Corps said it was exploring new options for addressing placement of sand dredged from Power Pool 4.
Col. Sam Calkins, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers St. Paul District, is confident of drafting a more favorable management plan.
“I believe the new plan currently being developed answers a lot of community concerns,” Calkins said in a statement.
Changes in a new draft plan proposal were a direct result of government agencies and community leaders working together to come up with a solution for everyone involved, the Corps of Engineers said.
After a new draft plan is released next summer, the Corps will take public comments on the proposal for an unspecified amount of time.
Source: Winona Daily News
