Posted on February 21, 2019
QUINCY — Efforts to dredge and restore Quincy Bay got a boost last week when three federal lawmakers urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support a $20 million dredging project.
A letter from U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood was sent to R.D. James, assistant secretary of the Army. The letter called Quincy Bay restoration “a top priority,” and the trio said “we look forward to working with you in the coming months in approving full funding for this project.”
Rob Ebbing, a board member and treasurer for the Quincy Bay Area Restoration and Enhancement Association, or QBAREA, has said Quincy Bay is filling with silt and will eventually “turn into marshland” unless it is dredged out.
“It’s huge when we can have support from the federal level, it should help the application process for Quincy Bay. We’ve already shown that there’s a lot of local support for the restoration,” Ebbing said.
The legislators’ letter notes that Quincy Bay is one of the largest natural bays on the upper reaches of the Mississippi River.
“Quincy Bay has served as an intrinsic part of this region dating back to the early native tribal settlements, up through the initial founding of the city of Quincy, until the present day,” the letter said.
Siltation has been accelerated by the construction of the lock and dam system in 1938 and construction of a railroad bridge in the 1950s. A cut-through at the north end of the bay and erosion from farmland also has been filling up the bay. Reports indicate the siltation has reduced water volume by 72 percent in the 118-acre area.
Many parts of Quincy Bay are now less than three feet deep. Ebbing said the natural bay needs to be dredged out to a depth of about 10 feet and time is of the essence. The proposal also calls for a dike and weir structures at the Bay Island access channel. Dredge material could help boost islands above flood level and northeast of Triangle Lake for reforestation.
“I believe it will take up to three years of study and maybe another year to three years of work” if the project is approved, Ebbing said.
QBAREA has been raising funds to help continue its campaign for the bay restoration. Federal grants are expected to be the source of dredging and other work to restore the bay’s ecosystem.
Source: whig.com
