Posted on August 15, 2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public comments on the Lower Pool 4 Big Lake Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project and will host a public meeting Aug. 29, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Wabasha-Kellogg High School. Wabasha-Kellogg High School is located at 2113 Hiawatha Dr. E, Wabasha, Minnesota.
The public can also watch the presentation live on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/usace.saintpaul.
The meeting will begin with an open house from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m., followed by a short presentation about the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program and proposed ideas to improve the habitat with the Mississippi River Lower Pool 4 Big Lake area at 7 p.m. The open house will resume following the presentation and the public will be invited to casually discuss the project and ask questions of agency representatives.
This restoration project is located within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge near Wabasha, Minnesota. The Corps is studying the feasibility of enhancing and restoring habitats by building islands, planting trees, managing invasive species, dredging for fish habitat and stabilizing banks. The project seeks to improve bottomland forest habitat for birds and backwater and channel habitats for fish and mussel populations. The construction, enhancement and protection of island features could provide for opportunistic use of main channel river sand placement. The construction may also use river sand from overwintering fish habitat dredging and access dredging.
Big Lake has lost much of its island complex and forest to wind and wave erosion and sedimentation of the backwaters is an ongoing issue in the study area. The proposed project goal is to maintain, enhance and create habitat suitable for native and desirable aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals.
People needing special accommodations for the meeting are asked to contact Ben Nelson at 651-290-5250 or benjamin.c.nelson@usace.army.mil no later than Aug. 22.
