WINONA — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, has released a draft environmental assessment for a proposed dredge material management plan in Pool 6, near Winona.
The Corps began accepting public comments on the plan Thursday and will continue taking comments through March 9.
The dredge material management plan outlines the Corps’ plans for temporary and permanent storage of the sand and silt dredged from the Mississippi River as part of the Corps’ duty to maintain the 9-foot navigation channel on the river. The plan being reviewed would be good for the next 20 years.
Pool 6 is a 14.4-mile-long stretch of the river from Lock and Dam 5A near Fountain City, Wis., and extending downriver to Lock and Dam 6 at Trempealeau, Wis. The Mississippi River shoreline along the city of Winona is entirely within Pool 6.
To gather public input, the Corps will host a public meeting to discuss the draft plan and receive public comments. The meeting will be at the Winona Historical Society, 160 Johnson St., from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11. The meeting will include a formal presentation highlighting the Corps’ navigation mission and the proposed dredge material management plan. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.
Questions on the plan or comments on the EA can be directed to Bob Edstrom, project manager, at 651-290-5026 or [email protected]. 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.
Corps officials hope to have a final report completed by the end of the summer.
