Upper Mississippi River - Illinois Waterway System Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP)

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District
Published Dec. 2, 2020
Updated: April 4, 2022
Purpose

Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) is a long-term program of ecosystem restoration and navigation improvements for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). NESP will improve system capacity and reduce commercial traffic delays through construction of seven new 1,200-foot locks, mooring cells, and switchboat implementation.

Location

Upper Midwest - Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin

Description

NESP is a long-term program of ecosystem restoration and navigation improvements for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). NESP will improve system capacity and reduce commercial traffic delays through construction of seven new 1,200-foot locks, mooring cells, and switchboat implementation.

The UMRS transports more than 60% of America’s corn and soybeans, is home to 25% of North America’s fish species and is a globally important flyway for 40% of North America’s migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. The UMRS ecosystem consists of 2.7 million acres of bottomland forest, islands, backwaters, side channels and wetlands, all of which support more than 300 bird species, 57 mammal species, 45 amphibian and reptile species, 150 fish species and nearly 50 mussel species. The diversity and abundance of native aquatic plants and animals are being impacted by degradation, loss of habitat and the arrival of several exotic species.

The existing locks and dams were constructed in the 1930s and experienced significant delays due to the single 600-foot lock chambers, which require 1,200-foot tows to “double lock.” On the UMRS, there is only one lock chamber at 35 of 37 sites. The new 1,200-foot locks will increase system reliability and would dramatically decrease lockage times. Additionally, the new 1,200-foot locks will eliminate the single point of failure of having only one lock. If a major lock component breaks, it has the potential to cause a lock closure and stop all inland navigation traffic. The 1,200-foot lock will also eliminate double lockages and provide an additional chamber to ensure navigation traffic can continue to flow even during major repairs.

Lock and Dam 25 1,200-Foot Lock

Lock and Dam 25 is one of seven 1,200-foot lock chambers authorized by the program and the first to be funded for construction by Congress. Lock and Dam 25 received $732 million to fully fund the project to completion. The project scope includes a new 1,200-foot lock chamber adjacent to the existing 600-foot chamber and upstream/downstream approach walls. The new lock will improve efficiency, reliability, and safety for navigation traffic transiting the facility along with adding operational redundancy at Lock and Dam 25. When complete, benefits will be realized by the entire nation, as Lock and Dam 25 provides an important link to exporting greater than 60% of the nation’s corn and soybean products to world markets. The new 1,200-foot lock will accommodate the largest tow configurations on the Upper Mississippi River thereby reducing lockage times for those vessels from two and a half hours or more to approximately 45 minutes.

Lock and Dam 22 Fish Passage

Lock and Dam 22 is one of five fish passage locations on the Mississippi River authorized by the program and the first to be funded for construction. Lock and Dam 22 fish passage received $97.1 million to fund design and initiate construction of the project. The project scope includes construction of a 200-foot-wide rock ramp fishway, an ice/debris barrier, bridge and stoplogs. In addition, the project includes pre- and post-project monitoring activities to optimize the structure during design and after the project is completed. When complete, the project will provide the means for fish access to upstream mainstem river and tributary habitats resulting in an increase of size and distribution of native migratory fish populations, returning the river to pre-lock and dam conditions from a fish habitat standpoint.

Congressional Support

NESP has strong bipartisan support with 52 members of Congress recently pledging their support that NESP be included in the USACE Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) projects.  

Key Takeaways
  • The NESP received a construction new start and construction general appropriations on Jan. 19, 2022, through the IIJA. The two projects funded were the Lock and Dam 25 1,200-Foot Lock and Lock and Dam 22 Fish Passage projects at $732 million and $97.1 million, respectively.
  • USACE will immediately begin developing a plan for completion of both projects, with a goal to begin construction as quickly as possible.
  • The combination of ecosystem and navigation in a single USACE program requires many years of coordination with both the navigation and ecosystem partners and it will alter the future of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) to ensure it remains the vital transportation and ecosystem corridor for the next century and beyond.
Status
  • Fiscal Year 2022: $829.1 million received from IIJA. Two projects were funded – Lock and Dam 25 1,200-Foot Lock ($732 million) and Lock and Dam 22 Fish Passage ($97.1 million).  
Additional Information
Congressional Interest

Senators: Charles Grassley (IA), Joni Ernst (IA), Richard Durbin (IL), Tammy Duckworth (IL), Tina Smith (MN), Amy Klobuchar (MN), Roy Blunt (MO), Joshua Hawley (MO), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Ron Johnson (WI)

Representatives: IA-2 (Mariannette Miller-Meeks), IA-3 (Cynthia Axne), IA-4 (Randy Feenstra), IL-11(Bill Foster), IL-13 (Rodney Davis), IL-16 (Adam Kinzinger), IL-17 (Cheri Bustos), IL-18 (Darin LaHood), IL-3 (Marie Newman), MN-1 (Jim Hagedorn), MO-6 (Sam Graves), WI-3 (Ron Kind)

Authority

GI - General Investigations - Title VIII of WRDA 2007

Summarized Project Costs

 

PED

CONST

Estimated Federal Cost

$93,068,700

$7,509,519,000

Estimated Non-Federal Cost

$0

$232,288,000

Estimated Total Project Cost

$93,068,700

$7,741,807,000

Allocations Prior to FY 2022

$70,468,700

$0

FY 2022 Allocation - President’s Budget

$0

$829,100,000

FY 2022 Total Capability

$0

$874,200,000

FY 2023 President’s Budget

$0

TBD

 

Major Work Items Current Year:

Fiscal Year 2022:

  • Lock and Dam 25 1,200-Foot Lock
  • Design, acquisition planning, and contract development.
  • The new 1,200-foot lock at Lock and Dam 25 will be under construction within six months of funds arriving in the St. Louis District. The first construction contract focuses on modifications to the existing lock to prepare for the new 1,200-foot chamber. Additional contracts will be developed as designs are completed, with a focus on constructing the project in the most efficient manner possible.
  • Lock and Dam 22 Fish Passage
    • Design, acquisition planning, and contract development.
    • Development of a project schedule to complete design and initiate construction.