1. Project Proponent. St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E1500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101.
2. Project Authority. The Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining a navigable channel on the Mississippi River. Authority for continued operation and maintenance of the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project is provided in the Rivers and Harbors Acts of 1930 and 1932. Original authority for the Corps of Engineers to work on the Mississippi River was provided in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1878. The project proposed here is authorized by the referenced legislation, and its purpose is compatible with the annual Operations and Maintenance
appropriation.
3. Project Location. The proposed actions would be located in Pool 7 of the Mississippi River immediately above the lock and dam facility in Houston County, Minnesota and La Crosse County, Wisconsin.
4. Summary of the Proposed Project.
a. The proposed project is to modify the existing weir structure at Lock and Dam 7 to reduce the dangerous outdraft conditions and to dredge the sediment that has accumulated at the auxiliary lock chamber as a result of the existing weir. The existing weir will be reconfigured from a straight line to a “dog-leg” shape with three notches added to the downstream portion. Additional scour protection will be added as well as a launchable rock feature.
b. (see table chart in public notice)
5. Construction Schedule. Construction of the proposed actions is scheduled to be carried out beginning in July 2025 and lasting through December 2025.
6. Permits/Coordination.
a. General. By way of this public review process and additional correspondence, the project is being coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin State Historic Presentation Office, and other federal, state, and local agencies.
b. State. The filling for the proposed project is subject to regulation by the State of Wisconsin in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act. A request for Water Quality Certification will be made to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
c. Federal. A Draft Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact was prepared and coordinated in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. Coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service occurred during the planning process. A Section 404(b)(1) evaluation was prepared in accordance with the Clean Water Act of 1977.
7. Summary of Environmental Impacts. The project would have minor temporary adverse effects to recreational opportunities, noise levels, air quality, biological productivity, and surface water quality. Affected resources would be expected to recover from any adverse effects shortly after construction. The project would have no effect on federally listed species and would have no effect to historic properties. Overall, the project would have a long-term beneficial effect to the safety of users of the lock facility.
8. Report. A Draft Environmental Assessment that describes the project and the environmental impacts in detail is available to the public and can be viewed at https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/Public-Notices/. The report includes project details and a Draft Finding of No Significant Impact.
9. Public Hearing Requests. The Section 404(b)(1) evaluation is being distributed as part of this environmental assessment. Anyone may request a public hearing on this project. The request must be submitted in writing to the District Engineer within 15 working days of the date of this Public Notice. Interested parties are also invited to submit to this office written facts, arguments, or objections to this project prior to the expiration date of this Public Notice. These statements should clearly state the interest the project would affect and how the project would affect that interest. A request for public hearing may be denied if substantive reasons for holding a hearing are not provided or there is otherwise no valid interest to be served. All statements will become
an official part of the project file and will be available for public examination.
10. Review and Comment. If you have any comments on the environmental assessment they should be provided before the expiration date of this notice. Persons submitting comments are advised that all comments received will be available for public review, to include the possibility of posting on a public website. Questions on the project or comments on the Environmental Assessment can be directed to Amanda Goldstein at (651) 290-5006 or at Amanda.c.goldstein@usace.army.mil. Please address all formal written correspondence on this project to District Engineer, St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E1500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101.