Purpose
Dissolved oxygen is essential for a healthy fisheries habitat. Dissolved oxygen depletion is a problem in the study area in summer and in winter due to a variety of reasons. Conway Lake is relatively shallow with abundant aquatic vegetation. During the winter, excessive water enters Phillipi Lake through openings that are eroding, creating unsuitable habitat conditions for overwintering backwater fish. Shore Slough has less than optimal fish habitat conditions as a result of sedimentation and the high flows from Phillipi Lake.
Location
The Conway Lake Project is located in Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River, immediately upstream of Lansing, Iowa. The Conway Lake study area includes Conway Lake, Phillipi Lake, Shore Slough and Zoll Lake as well as the adjacent island and slough habitat. The entire study area is approximately 1,170 acres and completely within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
Description
The project will enhance and create 215 acres of floodplain forest and 93 acres of off-channel, backwater fisheries habitat. Nearly 200 acres of existing forest will be enhanced by planting seedlings in the forest understory, promoting forest diversity and providing resilience against invasive species. In addition, 15 acres of newly created forest will be constructed to support a diversity of desirable tree species, water velocities will be reduced in over 93 acres of the project area and dredging to depth of 6 feet or greater in 25 acres of the project area will improve overwintering fish habitat.
Status
The construction contract for $5.2 million was awarded to Kaiyuh Services, LLC, in July 2018. Construction began in May 2020 and final grading on all project features was completed in December 2021. Tree planting occurred in 2021 and completion date is expected in fall 2022.
Authority
Congress originally authorized the UMRR Program in Section 1103 of the 1986 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) (Public Law 99-662), codified at 33 U.S.C. 652. Section 307 of WRDA 2020 (Public Law 116‒260) increased the authorized program funding to a combined $55 million annually.
The project was constructed as part of a cooperative effort of the Corps, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Iowa and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources and local interests.
Funding
Project design and construction costs are 100% federally funded because the project is located on lands managed as a national wildlife refuge. Operation and maintenance costs are 100% federal, a responsibility of the USFWS.
Construction Costs to Date $6,858,000