ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public comments on a proposed habitat improvement project on the Sand Hill River near Beltrami, Minnesota.
The Sand Hill Watershed District requested permission from St. Paul District to modify the existing flood control project on the Sand Hill River. They’re requesting to install 16 rock riffle structures in the channelized portion of the river. These rock structures will reduce channel degradation and bank erosion, while improving habitat. They would be placed near existing concrete drop structures and associated fish passage features. The requested modification is being designed to work in combination with the Corps’ fish passage project, scheduled for completion in 2017.
This habitat project requires approval from the Corps of Engineers, and is subject to the National Environmental Policy Act. As such, a draft Environmental Assessment has been prepared describing the project and associated environmental effects. It can be viewed and downloaded from the St. Paul District’s website at: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx.
A public review and comment period on the draft environmental assessment begins Feb. 12 and ends Mar. 16. Questions and comments concerning project should be directed to Elliott Stefanik, Corps biologist, at (651) 290-5260 or
Elliott.L.Stefanik@usace.army.mil. Please address all correspondence on this project to the St. Paul District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attention: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 180 Fifth St. E., Suite 700, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1678.
The nearly 600 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2015 $100 million budget, nearly 1,600 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $155 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
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