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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
St. Paul District
Programs & Project Management

332 Minnesota St., Suite E1500
St. Paul, MN 55101

(651) 290-5755

cemvp-pm@usace.army.mil

Navigation: Fountain City Service Base Sustainment and Modernization, Wisconsin

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District
Published April 17, 2025
Updated: April 17, 2025
Purpose

The Fountain City Service Base (FCSB) 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. 

Location

The project area is the FCSB in Pool 5 of the Upper Mississippi River, in Fountain City, Wisconsin.

Description

The project has two phases: Phase 1 Mooring Area and Phase 2 FCSB Modernization. Phase 1 utilized an architecture-engineering (AE) firm for design of a new mooring dolphin system and will include the removal of the 11 existing wooden pilings on the west side of the Fountain City harbor channel. This phase of the project was executed using a design-bid-build contracting method.

The primary objective for Phase 2 is to provide a straight-line mooring solution along the shoreline parallel to the river. Other objectives for this phase include installation of new stairs from the base to the water, installation of additional crane cells, shoreline protection from continued erosion, increase of the elevation of the southern portion of the service base to the same elevation as the northern portion of the service base, improvement of shore power capability to both support current vessel electrical requirements and provide necessary infrastructure for future vessels, upgrading of lighting along the waterfront, and installation of a buried potable water source throughout the service base. Phase 2 utilized an AE firm to develop the documents for the design-build process.

Status

The Phase 1 (mooring dolphin replacement) contract award was made at the end of fiscal year 2021 for $10.2 million. Construction began in March 2022. The Phase 2 (straight-line mooring solution) contract was awarded in September 2021 for $18.6 million. The design-build contractor began work summer 2022. Construction of Phase 1 and Phase 2 were completed in December 2023. This project is awaiting fiscal closeout pending U.S. Army Corps of Engineers receiving the final closeout documents from the construction contractor. This will be the final status update for this project.

Authority

Congress authorized the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Channel Navigation Project as part of the River and Harbor Act, approved July 3, 1930.

Funding

The design and construction for both phases will be completed with 100% federal funds.

Estimated costs
Mooring dolphin replacement (complete)            $10,200,000
Straight-line mooring solution (complete)            $18,600,000