Projects & Studies
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Flood Risk Management Continuing Authority, Red River of the North: Wahpeton, N.D.
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Integrated Watershed Study: Minnesota River Basin in Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Iowa
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Lower St. Anthony Falls Rapids Restoration, Mississippi River, Minneapolis, Minn.
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Mississippi Headwaters Reservoirs Project Sites
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Mississippi Place, Mississippi River, St. Paul, Minn.
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Mississippi River Recreation and Environmental Stewardship, Eau Galle Dam
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Reconnaissance Study: Minnesota River Basin in MN, SD, IA and ND
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Recreational Boating Study of the Mississippi River, Pools 4 to 9, Summer 2003
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River Resource Values and Expectation
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Western Flood Control Sites - Minnesota: Lake Traverse, Orwell Lake, Hwy 75 - Bigstone, Lac qui Parle
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Western Flood Control Sites – North Dakota: Lake Ashtabula, Homme Lake Souris River
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Mississippi River Recreation and Environmental Stewardship, Eau Galle Dam
Location/ Project Components
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Eau Galle Lake is just outside Spring Valley, Wisconsin, approximately 50 miles east of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, on the Eau Galle River. The project is comprised of a large earthen embankment, uncontrolled morning glory control structure and outlet works, overnight camping areas, picnicking areas, a boat launch (nonmotorized vessels only), hiking and equestrian trails, and scenic overlooks.
The Mississippi River recreation and environmental stewardship functions are headquartered in La Crescent, Minnesota. The facilities include a large overnight camping, day use, and boat launching recreation area (Blackhawk Park) approximately 50 miles south of La Crescent. Operation and maintenance of three boat accesses (Bad Axe, Millstone, and Jay’s Lake Landings) are also administered by this organization. Also, a progressive forestry/wildlife program is actively managed under an existing memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on approximately 50,000 acres held in Federal ownership in the project area. Much of this area makes up the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge.
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Operation
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All flood risk management, recreation and environmental stewardship activities are completed by site staff located at Eau Galle Lake and the Mississippi River Natural Resource Program with staff at La Crescent and Blackhawk Park. The staff for these organizations provides support to readiness response (emergency) activities in western Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota. The Mississippi River Natural Resource Program execution requires significant coordination with local, State and Federal resource agencies with interests in the natural resource base on the Mississippi River in the St. Paul District.
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Fiscal
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Site | 05 Alloc | 06 Alloc | 07 Alloc | 08 Alloc | 09 Pres Budget |
Eau Galle | 846.1K | 568K | 609K | 730K | 610.8K |
Mississippi River | 2,041K | 2,262K | 1,985K | 1,706K | 1,940K |
The Mississippi River numbers reflect only recreation and environmental stewardship funding and not support functions funded with navigation funding that may be administered or coordinated by the Natural Resource Program staff.
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Status
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General: Since 2005, inconsistent budget allocations have resulted in changes to some programs, reductions in service at public use areas, deferral of noncyclical maintenance and repair items at recreation facilities, and reduction in land and/or forestry management activities. The funding level in the 2009 President’s budget would not be adequate to maintain the current Natural Resource Program.
Eau Galle Dam: Limited fiscal year 2009 funds would result in lowering the level of service at all public use areas and reducing the temporary and seasonal staff. Maintenance items for repair of the dam have been deferred for several years. Replacing low-flow stems and brackets, replacing failed instruments, sandblasting and painting the overflow structure and steel conduit liner cannot be completed and are critical to continued operation of this high hazard dam. Asphalt roadways are deteriorating rapidly and will be nonrepairable if not seal coated soon.
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Mississippi River: The dredged material placed at Blackhawk Park and intended for beneficial use will not be stabilized with topsoil and seed and is subject to erosion. It will grow up in undesirable plants such as poison ivy, a safety hazard for park visitors. Important partnership projects (shoreline protection of an important cultural resource site in Pool 7, resolution of serious encroachment issues on Corps managed property, and joint projects such as recreational beach planning and conducting a recreational boating study critical to determining permit applications for new developments such as marinas or other commercial activities) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State natural resource agencies will not be completed.
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