ST. PAUL, Minn. –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking comments on its draft Sturgeon Lake Island Erosion Project Environmental Assessment released today, June 15. Corps staff will accept comments until July 15.
The proposed project, planned in collaboration with the Prairie Island Indian Community; the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources; and other partners, would restore floodplain habitat and enhance wetland habitat on Buffalo Slough Island within Sturgeon Lake in Pool 3 of the Mississippi River.
The draft plan would use dredged material from Diamond Bluff and material near the marina in Sturgeon Lake to raise the elevation of the Buffalo Slough Island. The island would then be planted with flood tolerant trees. Additional features include placing rock to protect the head of the island, a berm and 18 rock vanes along the eastern side of the island. These features are designed to restore the floodplain forest that once dominated the island, as well as create wetland habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.
A draft EA describing the project and the environmental impacts in detail is available to the public and can be viewed and downloaded from the St. Paul District website at: www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.
Questions about the project or comments on the draft EA can be directed to Dan Kelner, project biologist, at (651) 290-5277. Please address all formal written correspondence on this project to the St. Paul District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 180 5th St. E., Suite 700, St. Paul, MN 55101.
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Release no. 20-053
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