Beneficial Use of Dredged Material: Section 1122, Upper Pool 4 – Lake Pepin, Bay City, Wisconsin

This project utilizes dredged material generated from the navigation channel to protect and restore backwater habitat; this is a win-win project for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, our partner agencies, and the environment. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is the nonfederal sponsor.

Dam Safety Program: Wisconsin

The overlying purpose of the Dam Safety Program is to ensure the integrity and viability of dams such that they do not present unacceptable risks to the public, property, and the environment. Several dams in Wisconsin are federally authorized, operated and maintained.

Dredged Material Management Plan: Pool 10, Wisconsin/Iowa

The purpose of the Pool 10 Dredged Material Management Plan is to prepare a coordinated, long-term plan for managing dredged material in Pool 10. This plan was initiated due to needs for dredged material management at upland placement sites, especially in the downstream reach of the pool.

Dredged Material Management Plan: Pool 9, Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project, and one method used to maintain the 9-foot channel is dredging river soils or “material.” The purpose of the Pool 9 Dredged Material Management Plan is to prepare a coordinated long-term plan for managing dredged material in Pool 9. This plan was initiated due to needs for dredged material management at upland placement sites, especially in the upstream reach of the pool.

Eau Galle Lake, Wisconsin

Authorized purposes of the Eau Galle Lake Project include flood control, recreation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife. Eau Galle Lake is located on the Eau Galle River in Wisconsin.

Environmental Infrastructure Assistance: Section 154, Northern Wisconsin

The Section 154 program authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance to northern Wisconsin public entities in the form of design, construction, and reconstruction assistance for water-related environmental infrastructure, resource protection, and development projects. This work can target navigation and inland harbor improvements and expansions, wastewater treatment and related facilities, water supply and related facilities, environmental restoration, and surface water resource protection and development.

Flood Risk Management: Section 205, Trempealeau River, Arcadia, Wisconsin

The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk of damages due to flooding in the city of Arcadia, Wisconsin. The city is located on the Trempealeau River, with Turton Creek and Meyers Valley Creek flowing into the Trempealeau River on the east and west sides of the city, respectively.

Flood Risk Management: Wisconsin Silver Jackets Team

Silver Jackets teams are collaborative, state-led, interagency teams that are continuously working together to reduce flood risk at the state level. Through the Silver Jackets program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and additional federal, state, and sometimes local and tribal agencies provide a unified approach to addressing a state’s flood risk priorities. Often, no single agency has the complete solution, but each may have one or more pieces to contribute. Silver Jackets team activities and projects occur throughout Wisconsin.

Floodplain Management Services: Hydraulic Modeling of the Baraboo River, Wisconsin

The Floodplain Management Services program educates individuals who live and work in floodplains on flood hazards and the actions they can take to reduce property damage and prevent loss of life. The program’s objective is to foster public understanding of the options for dealing with flood hazards and to promote prudent use and management of the nation’s floodplains. This project targets the southern half of Wood County in central Wisconsin.

Floodplain Management Services: Juneau County, Wisconsin, Groundwater Study

The Floodplain Management Services program educates individuals who live and work in floodplains on flood hazards and the actions they can take to reduce property damage and prevent the loss of life. The program’s objective is to foster public understanding of the options for dealing with flood hazards and to promote prudent use and management of the nation’s floodplains. The Juneau County, Wisconsin, Groundwater Study targets the northern half of Juneau County in central Wisconsin.

Floodplain Management Services: Wisconsin

This program educates individuals who live and work in floodplains on flood hazards and the actions they can take to reduce property damage and prevent the loss of life. The program’s objective is to foster public understanding of the options for dealing with flood hazards and to promote prudent use and management of the nation’s floodplains.

Floodplain Management Services: Wood County, Wisconsin, Groundwater Study

This program educates individuals who live and work in floodplains on flood hazards and the actions that those individuals can take to reduce property damage and prevent the loss of life. The program’s objective is to foster public understanding of the options for dealing with flood hazards and to promote prudent use and management of the nation’s floodplains. Projects in the Floodplain Management Services program occur throughout Wisconsin. This project targets the southern half of Wood County, Wisconsin, in central Wisconsin.

Hydropower: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Licensing

Granting licensing of a privately-owned hydropower project on federal property. The project is proposed to be located at Upper St. Anthony Falls lock and dam, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Invasive Carp, Upper Mississippi River

Bighead and silver carp were introduced to the Mississippi River in the 1970s after wastewater treatment ponds were overcome from flooding on the lower Mississippi River. Left uncontrolled, the invasive carp’s feeding habits starve other species and cause turbidity in the waters where they feed, detrimentally altering the habitat that supports native species. Left unchecked, it is concern that the invasive species will continue to expand further upstream into the upper Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The purpose of this project is to monitor and limit the spread of invasive carp species.

Levee Safety Program: Wisconsin

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Levee Safety Program was created in 2006 to assess the integrity and viability of levees and to ensure that levee systems do not present unacceptable risks to the public and property. Several levee systems in Wisconsin are operated and maintained by the St. Paul District.

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2–10: Embankment Rehabilitation Adjacent to Structures

This embankment rehabilitation project addresses restoring embankments to meet current design standards. Overtopping protection adjacent to concrete structures is the priority for design and construction efforts; no increase in the height of the embankments is planned.

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2–10: Nonstructural Embankment Repairs

A draft Problem Appraisal Report completed in 2017 found that complete riprap overlay of the embankments to rehabilitate rock degradation was not economically justified but that there are other opportunities to improve scour resilience while improving the ecosystem. Some options include creating upstream berms, creating islands to reduce wave fetch, and providing submergible segments with crest superiority at some dams.

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2–10: Tow Rail System

The tow rail system is integral to the operation of Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2 through 10. At each lock, a tow rail system is attached to the top of the lock guidewall to help guide tows through the lock chamber. The tow rail systems of Locks and Dams 2 through 10 have been deteriorating over the past several years, requiring rehabilitation of these systems.

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 3–10 Sheet Pile Installation at Auxiliary Locks

Locks and Dams 3 through 10 have auxiliary chambers. Each auxiliary chamber has only a single set of miter gates that could pass shallow draft navigation traffic if the lock chamber was out of operation and the upstream and downstream pools were equalized. At each site, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers only installed one set of miter gates. An auxiliary lock chamber was never authorized by Congress, which would have included a second set of miter gates. Since installation, the auxiliary emergency gates have never been used, and the gate operating machinery was never installed.

Mississippi River Recreation and Environmental Stewardship

Although navigation was the initial purpose of the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project, Congress has since authorized the development of recreational facilities, protection of forest resources, and required the consideration of fish and wildlife conservation.

Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program

The Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) seeks to provide a safe, reliable, cost-effective and environment-sustainable waterborne navigation system by implementing switchboats at five locks and constructing mooring cells and seven new 1,200-foot locks. NESP will restore the aquatic and terrestrial habitat to a more natural condition on more than 100,000 acres throughout the system through a wide variety of ecosystem projects.

Navigation: Fountain City Service Base Sustainment and Modernization, Wisconsin

The Fountain City Service Base Sustainment and Modernization Project is a two-phase project to improve function and safety throughout the service base. The two objectives of the project are to replace the deteriorated mooring dolphins on the west side of the Fountain City harbor channel and modernize the service base.

Navigation: Mississippi River End Cells

The Lock Guidewalls-Distress Repair Recommendations project for Locks and Dams 2 through 10 has been ongoing since the mid-1990s. The purpose of the end cell projects is to extend the longevity of each site and to reduce operability issues and required maintenance

Navigation: Routine Dam Gate Maintenance

Maintenance of dam spillway gates are required to avoid degradation and eventual replacement. Cost analyses show it is economically favorable to maintain these gates rather than replace them. There are also reliability and safety concerns with allowing the gates to degrade to the point that they must be replaced.

Navigation: Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project Maintenance

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining a 9-foot navigation channel as an important component of the inland navigation system.

Tribal Partnership Program

The Tribal Partnership Program provides authority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform water-related planning activities and activities related to the study, design and construction of water resources development projects located primarily on tribal lands that substantially benefit federally recognized tribes.

Tribal Partnership Program: Section 203, Big Sand Lake Shoreline Stabilization, Wisconsin

The purpose of the project is to stop erosion along tribal lands on the southeast side of Big Sand Lake in Wisconsin while enhancing access to the water for cultural practices.

Upper Mississippi River – Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program: Systemic Mitigation Island 4 Project, Wisconsin

The primary purpose of this project is to address general degradation of habitat quality due to sediment deposition, wind-driven wave action, declining bathymetric diversity, and a decline in aquatic vegetation. Concerns over habitat deficiencies in Upper Pool 4 include reduced habitat diversity and quality, lack of aquatic vegetation and invertebrates, and reduced abundance of fish and wildlife.

Upper Mississippi River – Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program: Wacouta Bay Project, Wisconsin

Concerns over habitat deficiencies in Wacouta Bay, most resulting from sedimentation and turbidity, include reduced aquatic and terrestrial habitat diversity and quality, lack of aquatic vegetation, lack of protected wetlands, and reduced abundance of fish and wildlife. The Wacouta Bay project is a Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program study that will consider alternatives including island building and enhancement, forest enhancement and creation, backwater restoration and dredging, island and shoreline protection, and use of dredged material.

Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project: Locks and Dams, Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa

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. The navigation project within the St. Paul District includes 13 locks and dams that are operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project: Maintenance, Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa

The St. Paul District is responsible for maintaining 244 miles of the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project for inland navigation.

Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program: Big Lake, Pool 4, Wisconsin

The sedimentation of backwater areas of the Upper Mississippi River is an ongoing issue. The project area is greatly influenced by the input of sand from the Chippewa River, entering Pool 4 at approximately river mile 764. Other potential sources of sand are the historic channel maintenance dredging side-cast islands and the four active temporary placement sites within the study area. Big Lake has lost much of its island complex and bottomland forest to wind and wave erosion. The barrier islands between the lake and Catfish Slough have been degraded and/or eliminated over the past several years.

Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program: Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa Habitat Restoration

This program, authorized by Congress in 1986, emphasizes habitat rehabilitation and enhancement projects (HREPs) and long-term resource monitoring. The HREP component includes dredging backwater areas and channels, constructing dikes, creating and stabilizing islands, controlling side channel flows and water levels, and creating floodplain forest habitat.