CLINTON, Iowa — Your comment is needed during a public open house on Tuesday, April 30, to discuss plans for Phase II of an ecosystem restoration project in Lower Pool 13 of the Mississippi River.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, is partnering with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the event. It will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Eagle Point Lodge at 4101 N Third Street in Clinton, Iowa.
This is all part of the larger, congressionally-funded Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program.
After decades of worsening floods, droughts, increased barge traffic and tens of thousands of lost trees, the upper portion of the Mississippi River is in desperate need of intervention to protect and maintain the remaining wetlands and ecosystems, according to the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
The larger program is pouring millions of dollars into river restoration projects over hundreds of miles of the river.
As part of this larger program, crews have already built a giant U-shaped rock wall around Steamboat Island, near Princeton. After years of erosion, the island lost more than 14 acres to the Mississippi River. There's about 100 feet in between the edge of the island and the rock wall, and all that space will eventually get filled in with dredge material and trees, restoring the island to its original size.
If we zoom in closer, the Lower Pool 13 Habitat Restoration and Enhancement project is one piece of that, focusing specifically on river miles 523 to 529 which includes parts of Whiteside and Carroll Counties in Illinois as well as Clinton County, Iowa.
It's a 4,000-acre wetland complex with shallow lakes, managed moist soil areas, emergent vegetation and braided channels surrounded by degrading riparian timber.
According to the corps, that stretch of the river struggles with island and riverbank erosion, sedimentation, as well as a loss of aquatic vegetation, dwindling habitat, animal and fish diversity.
Phase I of this project is already underway with several goals:
- Restore and enhance submerged aquatic vegetation coverage
- Restore and enhance coverage, species richness and age distribution of area forests
- Maintain, enhance, restore and emulate natural river processes, structures and functions to promote a sustainable ecosystem
- Maintain, enhance and create quality habitat for all native and desirable plant, animal and fish species
Now, the public is encouraged to give feedback on the proposed projects for Phase II in Lower Pool 13.
During the open house on April 30, a team of experts will give a project overview and cover potential options for restoration and enhancement of the area. The public will then be asked to provide feedback and engage in discussion about the project. There will be time for questions afterward.
For more information on the Lower Pool 13 Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, you can click here. For more information on the public meeting, you can contact the Rock Island District at (309) 794-5729 or through cemvr-cc@usace.army.mil.
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