Dredged Material Management Plans - Upper Mississippi River

Updated March 2017
Published Feb. 26, 2015

Location/Description
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is responsible for maintaining 244 miles of the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel navigation system from the head of navigation at Minneapolis, Minnesota, at river mile 857.6 to Guttenberg, Iowa, at river mile 614. The navigation system also includes the lower navigable portions of the Minnesota, St. Croix, and Black Rivers. 

Long term planning for dredged material placement has been ongoing since the mid-1970’s, starting with the Great River Environmental Action Team (GREAT) study from 1974 -1980 and is actively managed to maximize beneficial use of the material. 

As a result of the GREAT recommendations, seventeen reconnaissance reports were developed in the mid-1980’s assessing specific dredging locations and subsequent management of the material. These documents have reached the end of their planning period and need to be updated. Issues to be addressed in the current planning efforts include increased sedimentation in the Upper Mississippi River and the lack of long-term upland dredged material placement sites available for use.

The District has dredged an average of 890,000 cubic yards annually since 1985 using both Government and contract hydraulic and mechanical dredges. Dredged material management plans (DMMPs) are being prepared for Lower Pools 2 and 4 as well as Pools 5 and 6 to identify long term placement of channel maintenance dredged material. The DMMP will identify a “base plan” for managing dredged material over the next 40 years. The base plan is the least costly and environmentally acceptable method of managing dredged material.

Status
In FY17, DMMPs are anticipated to be complete for Lower Pool 2, Lower Pool 4, Pool 5, and Pool 6. Initiation of property acquisition in pools 2, 4, and 5 are anticipated. Property acquisition in Pool 6 and initiation of a DMMP in Pool 9 is anticipated in FY17.

Authority
This study is authorized under the 9-Foot Channel Navigation project by the Rivers and Harbors Act approved July 3, 1930 in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1972 and 33 CFR 335-338.

Fiscal
The Dredged Material Management Plans Study is 100- percent federally funded under the Corps Civil Works Operation and Maintenance appropriation.

Fiscal Year 2014: Pool 4, 5, and 6 - $310,000
Fiscal Year 2015:     Pool 2, 4, 5, and 6 - $465,000
Fiscal Year 2016:     Pool 2, 4, 5, and 6 - $765,000
Fiscal Year 2017: Pool 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9 - $515,000