Spring Lake Islands project enhances wildlife habitat on Mississippi River  

Five islands in the Mississippi River project area now have names, thanks to a Name the Island contest. Pelican Island: submitted by Scott Mehus, Buffalo City, Wis.; Robin Grawe, Winona, Minn.; Joni MacLeod, Fountain City, Wis.; Margaret and Mac McCauley, Winona; and Margaret Kiihne, Winona. Deer Toe Island: submitted by Scott Mehus, Buffalo City, Wis. Water Snake Island: submitted by Brian Pember, Winona, Minn. Deep Hole Island: submitted by Emmett Keller, Chippewa Falls, Wis. Bulrush Island: submitted by Sharon Grawe, Northfield, Minn. Snipe Island: submitted by Ron Burfield, Houston, Minn. (Courtesy photo)

Mar. 28, 2008

By Kurt Brownell
St. Paul District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' St. Paul District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wisconsin and Minnesota departments of natural resources hosted a celebration for the completion of the Spring Lake Islands habitat rehabilitation and enhancement project Oct. 12.

The public celebration included a dedication ceremony, interpretive programs and displays.  The new island complex is located near Buffalo City, Wis., and the event was held in conjunction with the celebration of the fall bird migration during National Wildlife Refuge Week.
  
The habitat project was prompted by the erosion and disappearance of natural islands in the Spring Lake area since the building of Lock and Dam 5 and the creation of Pool 5 in the 1930s.  These islands had protected Spring Lake from the effects of the main river channel and had reduced wind fetch and the associated wave action.  Loss of the islands resulted in less vegetation in the lake, and thus, less food for fish and wildlife.
  
The $4.3 million project was completed in the fall of 2006 by L.W. Matteson Company of Burlington, Iowa.  It involved constructing six islands within and along the west side of Spring Lake to restore habitat and diversity in the lake.
  
Four of these islands were constructed using $3.5 million from the Environmental Management Program (EMP).  Materials for these islands were hydraulically dredged from 15 acres within the lake and pumped to form the islands.  Rock was used to stabilize both the new and existing islands.  The dredging also created deeper water to create better fish habitat and to facilitate boat access through the area.
  
The other two islands were constructed with materials dredged from the navigation channel and $800,000 in channel maintenance funding.  This allowed the district a way to beneficially use these materials to improve habitat.  The district was further able to avoid the cost of double handling these materials, which would be the case if they were first placed in a temporary placement site and later moved to a site outside of the floodplain for permanent storage or reuse later.
  
The design and placement of these islands will be evaluated in upcoming years; and if they prove to be effective at enhancing habitat in the Spring Lake area, more islands may be built in the future using dredged material.
  
To reduce the amount of rock stabilization and associated costs, native prairie grasses and willow switches were planted to initially stabilize the islands.  Shrubs and trees will be planted in 2008 to further stabilize the islands and to provide additional habitat benefits.
  
The 32 acres of islands also will improve the growth of aquatic vegetation and enhance habitat diversity.  The project will ultimately protect about 500 acres of valuable backwater fish and wildlife habitat.
  
The dedication ceremony included remarks from representatives of the Corps, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the mayor of Buffalo City and U.S. Representative Ron Kinds office.
  
"The event appeared to be an enjoyable experience for those that attended," said Don Powell, St. Paul District EMP project manager.  "We received many words of appreciation for the ongoing habitat restoration efforts on the Upper Mississippi River."