Posted on September 16, 2024
The city of Wabasha is proposing to build a barge facility on the Mississippi River to help with moving sand that is dredged from the river. Community members can now provide input on the final environmental impact statement for the proposal.
The city is collaborating with the Wabasha Port Authority on the proposed 8.2-acre facility in order to dispose of sand dredged by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). “So it’s going to be a pretty basic structure,” Wabasha City Administrator Caroline Gregerson said. “Like I said, a gravel road and a dock, essentially.” The project’s estimated cost is $4.6 million, and a state grant of $755,000 is currently slated to go toward the facility’s cost. Other anticipated funding sources are state and federal grants, as well as the city selling bonds, or debt.
Once the sand is dredged, a great deal of it will be trucked to a sand and gravel facility in Wabasha, Gregerson said. She added that the city has some ideas on where the sand could be made available for construction in other parts of the city.
Initially, the USACE proposed a different site that would have meant seizing private property, including a farm. Some community members expressed concerns about that plan, and the city later proposed the concept of a barge facility. As it dredges a substantial amount of sand in many areas along the river, the USACE has faced challenges in locating a sufficient number of disposal sites. Near Winona, some community members have also voiced opposition to sand stored by the corps in Homer.
“I think we’re really excited to partner with the Army Corps on their mission of keeping the Mississippi navigable,” Gregerson said. The project would benefit the local economy, she said. She added, “We hope to begin construction next year, and it’s been a long time coming.”
The city is now finalizing the review of the proposal’s impact on the environment, Gregerson said, which considered possible effects on wetlands and endangered species and the best location for the barge facility. Some anticipated effects are increased barge traffic, increased truck traffic, temporary effects on aquatic organisms, tree clearing and a “permanently impacted 0.4 acre wetland,” or filling a wetland.
To provide public comments, community members can reach Gregerson at 651-565-4586 or cityadmin@wabasha.org from now through September 13.
