Corp. of Eng. – Friend or Foe

We all know the Corp. is chomping at the bit to start the Locks expansion projects, because of the outcry from Ag. and other special interest groups. Here’s a chance for the Corp. to wear a white hat and help the sportsman and the rec. boater side of the house.

The white hat project for them is on Pool 16, mile 479, at the

far west tip of Credit Island. There lies a small channel entrance to a slough and harbor area. The city of Davenport has a good ramp/dock and a huge paved parking area provided for everyone. The slough is silting in, but is still deep enough for use, and carries a population of gill, crappie, and bass. Here’s the problem : the entrance to the slough is all but silted in. The last 30′ before you enter the river proper you needed to up to speed and on plane to get through there. Last years flooding makes it about 8″ deep now !

Cure: The Corp. has a small job of dredging !!

Well the Corp. says its not their problem ! It’s not in their jurisdiction. What, like the City of Dav. has dredging equipment. Apparently the city is responsible and must contract out if it wants it done. You know what priority list that project is on, let alone the city appropriate money. I guess our Fed. tax moneys to the Corp. is only for the Special Interest Groups and their projects !! It’s the river, for

crimeny sakes ! I thought they worked for all citizenry.

GoFish

Kensyl Reading———–EFN ProStaff

Are you sure you are fully aware of what you speak? It seems to me you have heard a small piece of information and then have let your emotions run away from you. My father is the Leverman for the dredge William Thompson for the Corps. I’m sure if you asked the crew on the Thompson to just stop by the city of Davenport to dredge out the harbor entrance they would be happy to oblige. They could postpone the dredging that actually affects river traffic (barges) and they could stay a few more days away from their family. They would be happy to volunteer their time to dredge out the harbor, because if it is not contracted out, they would be VOLUNTEERING, no pay!!! I am sure that you would stay away from your family for a few days and vounteer your time during the summer. Probably not! I hope that before you judge other companies and the employees of those said companies, you at least make me believe that you know what you are talking about. The job of the dredges in the Corps of Engineers is to keep river traffic moving. That means keeping the channels deep enought so that barges can make it up and down the river. If, in fact, they have few bids or few channel projects in a year, they may take bids on other projects such as city harbors, etc.

I need to agree here. The job of the corp is to maintain the river channel, dams, and pool elevations. Unfortuanately, this does not mean dredging silted sloughs.

There are a huge number of sloughs that held high numbers of quality fish, that simply do not exist today. I am sure that many old river rats can tell you about many sloughs that once flurished with fish are now dead water. In the thirty some years that I have fished this river, the changes have been incrediable to see.

I am also an avocate for the Govn. to keep their fingers out of everything; as much as possible. Too many people expect Big Govn to do everything for them….Not me. The more responsiblities we can take away from the govtm and bill out to those who use the service will reduce our taxes. I am sure that if the city puts out a referendum for the 25 to 50K to do the dredging, those who benifit will chip in to pick up the tab…My ten cents worth…Randy

Here we go again!!!

Ok, first of all, the corps is involved in the dredging of some silted in backwaters and sloughs. That has been talked about on this site and others many times in the past. Easy enough to find the articles and postings about it.

Also, it would cost a lot more than 25 or 50k to do the pumping required in the area Kensyl is talking about.

And, you say “bill those who use the service” and to reduce our taxes. Fine, let those who benefit from the lock expansion pay for it, (ie) the barge companies.

They are the only ones who will see any benefit from this deal. The farmers won’t see one red cent of an increase in grain prices because of the faster lock through time. And the only money the towing companies are going to pay on this is what it costs them for their lobbyists. So take a guess at who is going to end up paying for this so called economic betterment.

Don’t mean to ramble but my chain got yanked hard this time.

I’ll always remember that the corps was caught fudging numbers in order to push through their pet project with the lock expansion. Busted by their own people and nothing happened to them. That still pi$$es me off. Their own watchdogs blew the whistle and they got away with it.

I know after last years flooding that there are silted in areas all over the river. I called and asked about what was going to be done and was told that the mission of the corps is to maintain a navagable barge channel first and foremost. Anything else is extra.

So, basicly, if you pilot a barge, they’re working for you. If you are concerned about silted in backwaters and sloughs that are silted shut that used to be open……..maybe they’ll get to that later. That came from a guy at the corps that I talked to.

The articles about the shady number deals are probably still available around here somewhere. I know that I sent copies to James. Perhaps we can dig them up for people to read who didn’t get the chance.

I also talked to a guy in Washington DC who works for the Dept of Fish and Wildlife. He said The Upper Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Refuge was created with fishermen and hunters in mind. However, the USACE does not work to help preserve it. Imagine that, two government agencies that can’t work together.

Well, at least they made wingdams.

Beav

Yup, Herb here we go ! Let me clarify. First, I talked directly

to the head honcho incharge of ramps/docks, maintenance, etc. of Davenports river areas. Second, I wasn’t talking a whole slough. I was referring to a 50′ entrance to the slough.

Guys, you need to remember the taxpayers pay for all the waterways operations. What the Barge company’s contribute is a joke. It’s the must subsidized industry there is, even ahead of farming.

I also volunteer many hours to the river: cleaning a local marsh project, hauling river trash, migratory bird taging,river beach clean-up, and (this one’s selfish) ramp snow/ice removal.

GoFish

Kensyl Reading——–EFN Prostaff

Political… situation… must…. resist…..

Well, that didn’t work.

Make the people who use it pay?

Love to see this sort of libertarian attitude, however, I feel it is misplaced here. How many times have we heard the very people on this site demand that the government get involved and purchase this or that to get it into ‘public’ hands? How many times have we heard that the government needs to place this or that restriction on private industry “for the good of the people,” “for the good of the animals,” “for the good of the children.”

All of that is nonsense. Here, however, we have a situation where the maintenance of the navigation channel has had a detrimental effect on the access. This is not “nobody’s fault.” The corps is culpable and should be held liable. When they took control, they also took responsibility – otherwise they are held accountable to nothing.

I can’t drive up there and fill your livewell with dog poop without having you complain, can I? If this were a new landing going in, I would agree that those who are to use it should rightfully pay. Since it was in existence and has silted in due to the corps (mis)management of the navigation channel, HHGYF is not an acceptable answer.

Let’s not badmouth barge companies too much, now. We all share the benefits of the navigation channel in terms of lower energy costs, lower food costs, increased job opportunity, etc. I am very happy to have the navigation traffic, as it is a sign of our prosperity.

I’m all choked up that someone can’t be with their family when they’re doing their job. I’m so glad that my company lets me sit at my desk all day and play with my kids. Your dad could email me a resume, but I probably wouldn’t be able to read it with all these tears in my eyes. You complain about Hawger’s emotional post, check the temper of your own before hitting the button.

Let me ask… does he decide where and when to dredge??? To me, this looks more like a mismanagement problem, not a problem with the guys on the dredge. I’m sure they work their hearts out, and it’s unfortunate that their efforts suffer from the taint of inefficiency and incompetence which runs rampant in government operations.

Out West, they call the fed the landlord from Hell, we’re just getting a taste of it. Y’all think we should just be happy they’re not filling the harbor with nuclear waste. It’s not wrong to expect government to do the right thing… just unexpected when it does happen.

i have always thought that that if they would take out the causeway going onto credit island,and put in a section of bridge,with water flowing underneath it,that would take care of the silting in.and as much as they got to use it after the last flood,they should take out the causeway altogether.just my thoughts on that area………….

EYESRIT

I would agree with you. Look at Enchanted Island that has let

the river keep it clean. I think we would have one great area

if the they let the river flow . I can not remember when they

put the causeway in. I would like to know what the fishing

was like before they put it in. I think it would also help when the miss. floods river drive.

CURRENT BREAK

Could it be possible to get a group of guys to have the corps of engineers somehow keep some of the flood water in a pool??? I am curuious if they are just to political or would it actually do some good to give them a letter or something, what are the rest of your views on this???

I’ve talked to the people from the USACE on several occasions, and they STRESS that their mission is to maintain a navagable barge channel. operate the locks and dams, and that’s it. They are not here to manipulate water levels to control flooding or for any other reason.

Beav

Well guys I’ve tried to stay out of this discussion but I can’t hold back anymore so just let me vent a little!!!!!! Beav is 100 and 10% right on .The main job for the Corps. is to take care of the buoyed channel and the upper management could care less in the long and short term goals they have. About back waters and our fishing ,hunting ,trapping on the river THEY would rather not even have us the tax payer ,by the way we do pay they’er wages,around to bother them.I’ve been to meeting on things from dropping water levels when the catfish spawn to high water when the mushrats young are drowned out and always get the same old story.We are not here to control the level of the river just to maintain the channel for barges period end of discussion!! ……Everyone have a good year on the big pond .Bass Bull

I guess I can weigh in on this . All of our commoddity groups were singing the praises of the new lock expansion projects,but all or most of the grain on barges is not owned by us anymore. Some could call this corporate welfare and I think they have a point. They come back and say it will increase prices to us by improving their effiecient . I say the margins will never change because they dont have to, it will be an extra dollar in there pocket and the farmer will get it in the end ,again. We heard how ethanol would save the corn grower and would add .25 -.50 cents per bushel ,and yet we have the lowest commodity prices in recent history. But thats another story. Its use the farmer bait and switch . Thanks for listening ,I feel better.