The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operates and maintains the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project, and one method USACE uses 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.

Location

The Pool 9 DMMP study area is located between Lock and Dam 8 at Genoa, Wisconsin, and Lock and Dam 9 near Lynxville, Wisconsin, spanning more than 31 river miles from 679.2 to 648.0. The study area includes several communities near the main navigation channel, including Lansing, Iowa, and De Soto, Wisconsin.

Description

There are seven historic dredge cuts in Pool 9. Of those seven, four are considered active, with two of those four requiring dredging on an annual basis. Since 1981, the average amount of material dredged per year in Pool 9 has been approximately 55,000 cubic yards.

The DMMP is evaluating a list of potentially suitable sites to develop the federal standard or base plan for managing dredged material for a minimum of 20 years. The federal standard is defined as “the dredged material disposal alternative or alternatives identified by the Corps which represent the least costly alternatives consistent with sound engineering practices and meeting the environmental standards established by the [Clean Water Act’s] 404(b)(1) evaluation process…” (33 Code of Federal Regulations 335.7).

Status

In fiscal year 2018, USACE began drafting the Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) for the Pool 9 DMMP. As a result of urgent dredge material efforts, this plan was put on hold.

In fiscal year 2021, USACE resumed drafting the TSP by obtaining feedback from affected stakeholders, including via a public meeting to inform local communities of the navigation mission, federal acquisition process, and USACE’s desire to identify willing sellers for the possibility of permanent upland placement of dredged material.

In winter 2026, USACE plans to release a draft report with the TSP sites identified for a public review period. USACE will evaluate and consider all alternatives identified in the public comments for the final DMMP.

A final plan and subsequent real estate acquisition are anticipated to begin in fall 2026 and will be phased over time, pending prioritization of parcels and availability of funds.