1. Project Proponent. St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers, 332 Minnesota Street, Suite E1500, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101.
2. Project Authority. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is authorized to maintain a navigable channel on the Upper Mississippi River (UMR). Authority for continued operation and maintenance of the UMR 9-Foot Navigation Channel Project is provided in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1930 (P.L. 71-520), as amended. Original authority for the Corps to work on the Mississippi River was provided in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1878. In addition, pursuant to Section 1103(i) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. § 652(i)), Congress authorized the Corps to dispose of dredged material from the system pursuant to the recommendations of the Great River Environmental Action Team (GREAT) I study, which were implemented, in part, in the Channel Maintenance Management Plan (CMMP). The proposed project is authorized by the referenced legislation and its purpose is compatible with the annual operations and maintenance appropriation.
3. Project Location. The proposed project is near Lock and Dam 4, east of Kellogg Minnesota, and north of the Zumbro River.
4. Summary of the Proposed Project. This project is a continuation of the actions laid out in the 2022 Lower Pool 4 Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP). It focuses on the transportation of dredged materials from transfer sites in lower Pool 4 to buildout three permanent dredged material placement sites near Kellogg, MN. Dredged material will be offloaded from the transfer sites in Pool 4 using a combination of mechanical (barge transport) and hydraulic (pipeline) transport. For material that is mechanically transported it will be transferred from the barge to a pipeline on the Lock and Dam 4 embankment. From there it would be pumped to one of three permanent placement sites. Hydraulically transported material will be pumped through a pipeline directly at the transfer site straight to the permanent placement site. The three permanent placement sites will require some modification prior to placement including minor tree clearing and top soil removal, which will be saved and replaced once the site is deemed at capacity. The sites will begin to be modified during 2026 with the first offload expected to occur during the summer of 2027, and would continue to occur intermittently through time as it is needed when the transfer sites reach capacity or as dredging in Pool 4 occurs.
5. Construction Schedule. Construction would most likely begin in 2026 with site preparation. Use of the sites for permanent placement of dredged material will occur into the future until all sites are full.
6. Coordination.
The Proposed Project has been coordinated with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as state agencies. Additional input will be received through this public review, with agencies providing comments and input for consideration.
7. Summary of Environmental Impacts. The Proposed Project would have temporary minor adverse impacts to noise, air, water quality, recreation, transportation, navigation and fish and wildlife. This includes temporary impacts to recreation and aesthetics from the placement of the hydraulic pipeline, particularly through Peterson Lake and Clear Lake. Affected resources would be expected to recover quickly from any adverse effects shortly after conclusion of the project. There would be minor permanent impacts to aesthetics and agricultural lands due to the placement of material in large mounds on the placement sites. The project would have minor temporary effects on two federally-listed species and no effect or jeopardy on any other species within the project area. The Project would be in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.
8. Report. A Draft Supplemental 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 assessment includes an evaluation of impacts, project drawings, a Draft Finding of No Significant Impact, and letters of coordination from regulatory agencies.
9. 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: CEMVP_Planning@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.