COE comments for its Lower Pool 2 Channel Management Study

Corps seeks comments for its Lower Pool 2 Channel Management Study

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, released a draft Environmental Assessment for its Lower Pool 2 Channel Management Study – Boulanger Bend to Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minnesota, yesterday, June 19.

The purpose of the project is to provide safe, reliable and efficient navigation through the Boulanger Bend area, near river miles 817 to 821. The Corps has been unable to maintain this area to the authorized dimensions due to increased sedimentation and reduced budgets. The proposed plan includes excavating and maintaining a wider channel that is still within authorized dimensions and to place two new rock sills to reduce sediment buildup. These changes would improve navigability and safety and reduce channel maintenance requirements.

This project requires a review of environmental effects under the National Environmental Policy Act. The proposed action has been coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. National Park Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office and the Metropolitan Council.

A final determination on the draft Environmental Assessment will be made following a 30-day public review period. The draft document can be viewed and downloaded at: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.

The public review and comment period ends July 19. Questions and comments concerning the project should be directed to Tom Novak, Corps project manager, at 651-290-5524 or [email protected]. Please address all correspondence on this project to the St. Paul District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attention: Project Management, 180 5th St. E., Suite 700, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1678.

The nearly 600 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the St. Paul District Fiscal Year 2016 $78 million budget, nearly 1,250 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $120 million to the national economy. For more information, see http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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Thought this was a done deal? Don’t see them turning back at this point.

Wonder how long it will take before the “Old” channel fills in. Will be interesting to see what happens with grey cloud slough. Also access for all of the houses on the western shoreline.

Will be getting some new islands and I’ll assume some new wingdams in there too. Seems the major impact for fishing will be the mucky water in upper pool 3 while the new channel is dredged out.

-J.

I was surprised at how little impact the dredging of the channel above the RW dam had on fishing below the dam. I spose each area is different but it had little if any effect on the fishing.