Corps seeks comments on plan to temporarily lower Mississippi River elevation near St. Anthony Falls

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking comments on a plan to briefly lower the Mississippi River elevation south of the St. Anthony Falls for an inspection of the Bassett Creek Tunnel with the initial inspection to take place next month.

The Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission requested the Corps lower the river so the organization can complete a tunnel inspection. The commission would like to do this every 10 years. The Corps is proposing to lower the river by 13 feet to an elevation of 737.0 feet to facilitate these inspections.

The tentative target period for the initial inspection is scheduled for Feb. 25 – March 1. The exact date could be delayed by a week if weather conditions warrant. The inspection should last no more than 5-7 days. The river elevation is expected to be restored to its normal level within four days following the inspection.

The Corps released a draft programmatic Environmental Assessment, or EA, and is seeking public comments until Feb. 8, 2019, on the proposal to lower the river elevation between Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls dams. The draft EA describing the project and the environmental impacts is available to the public and can be viewed and downloaded on the St. Paul District website at: www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.

Questions on the project or comments on the EA can be directed to Derek Ingvalson at 651-290-5252 or Derek.S.Ingvalson@usace.army.mil. Please address all formal written correspondence on this project to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, ATTN: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 180 5th St. E., Suite 700, St. Paul, MN 55101.