ST. PAUL DISTRICT

Bighead and Silver Carp, Upper Mississippi River

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the Federal lead on the Asian Carp issue. The Corps’ Great Lakes and Ohio River Division is the Corps lead. The Corps HQUSACE is developing an Asian Carp Emergency Response standard operating procedure under the authority of Section 1039 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014 (P.L. 113--121) to prevent Asian carp from getting past the Brandon Road lock and dam on the Ohio River system. This plan is being developed in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC). The plan includes rapid response protocols, monitoring, and other countermeasures. This will likely be extended to other river systems.

Continuing Authorities Program (CAP)

Under the Continuing Authorities Program (CAP), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is authorized to plan, design and construct certain types of water resource and ecosystem restoration projects without additional and specific congressional authorization. The purpose is to implement projects of limited scope and complexity. Each authority has specific guidelines and total program and per-project funding limits. Studies are cost-shared 50/50 during feasibility. Most projects are cost-shared 65 percent Federal and 35 percent non-Federal during implementation, unless otherwise noted.

Continuing Authorities Program: Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration - Section 1135, Sand Hill River

The study area is located in a rural setting in Polk County, Minnesota, 275 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Sand Hill River basin is centrally located in the Red River Valley watershed. A major reach of the river downstream of Fertile, Minnesota, was the subject of a flood control project constructed by the Corps of Engineers from 1955 to 1958. It involved straightening the river and constructing several drop structures and served as a drainage improvement to local agriculture. Overall, more than 18 miles of the Sand Hill River was straightened or abandoned.

Continuing Authorities Program: Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration - Section 206, Painter Creek

Painter Creek is part of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD), which includes part of the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its western and northwestern suburbs. The Painter Creek Watershed has been extensively drained and ditched as a result of increasing demand for agriculture. This caused a loss of wetland and riparian habitat and increased sediment and nutrient loads downstream into Jennings Bay on Lake Minnetonka. Due to the presence of the ditch system, the frequency of which the wetlands are inundated from stream flows has decreased benefits to the habitat and water quality.

Continuing Authorities Program: Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, Section 1135; Lower Otter Tail River

The study area is located in a rural setting in Wilkin County just to the east of Breckenridge, Minnesota, approximately 180 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Otter Tail River is located in the upper portion of the Red River Valley watershed. A major reach of the river upstream of Breckenridge, Minnesota, was the subject of a flood control project constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1950’s. It involved straightening, cleaning enlarging the river for drainage improvement to local agriculture. The overall length of the river in this reach was reduced from 18 miles to 11 miles as a result of the project. The straightened channel decreased channel length, increased channel grade, increased channel conveyance, increased bank erosion, and reduced the flood profiles in the lower Otter Tail River watershed.

Continuing Authorities Program: Beneficial Use of Dredge Material - Section 204, Pig's Eye Lake

Pigs Eye Lake is located in Ramsey County, just east of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. Pigs Eye Lake is located in upper Pool 2 of the Mississippi River. Due to the lake’s close proximity to the Mississippi River, water level is controlled by the level of the river. The lake is located in the Mississippi River Bottomlands subwatershed.

Continuing Authorities Program: Beneficial Use of Dredged Material, Section 204, Upper Pool 4 - Lake Pepin

Lake Pepin extends about 22 miles in length from the delta of the Chippewa River to approximately River Mile 787 which is about 3 miles downstream of Red Wing, Minnesota. Upper Lake Pepin consists of channel border islands and backwater lakes grading into an expansive, shallow open water area with little physical structure. Sedimentation and sediment resuspension have caused a loss in water depth diversity of the backwater lakes and isolated wetlands above Lake Pepin as well as a loss in aquatic vegetation.

Continuing Authorities Program: Emergency Streambank Protection - Section 14, Crow River

The study area is located in a rural setting in western Hennepin County, Minnesota, approximately 40 miles west of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Crow River, a tributary to the Mississippi River, was experiencing erosion on a reach north of the city of Delano, Minnesota, where the natural course of the river follows a sharp turn adjacent to County Road 50. Erosion at the outside bend of the channel and at the toe of the bank of the Crow River threatened the stability of County Road 50 at the top of the river bluff.

Continuing Authorities Program: Emergency Streambank Protection - Section 14, Waste Water Treatment Lagoons, Village of Colfax, Wisconsin

The Village of Colfax is located in Dunn County, Wisconsin, approximately 75 miles east of St. Paul, Minnesota. The erosion site is located on the left descending bank of the Red Cedar River, less than one mile downstream of Colfax, at the Village of Colfax Waste Water Treatment Lagoons. Erosion has cut the bank to within 50 feet of the waste water treatment lagoon berm which threatens the integrity of the berm. Severe safety and environmental impacts would occur if erosion continues at this location and waste water from the lagoons was to enter the Red Cedar River.

Continuing Authorities Program: Flood Risk Management - Section 205, Minnesota River, Montevideo, Minnesota

Montevideo is located in Chippewa County in western Minnesota, approximately 130 miles west of St. Paul, Minnesota. The city is at the confluence of the Chippewa and Minnesota Rivers. The area is subject to flooding from both rivers. The three areas that are affected include the 1969 levee area, the Smith Addition and the U.S. Highway 212 area.

Continuing Authorities Program: Flood Risk Management - Section 205, Trempealeau River, Arcadia, Wis.

Arcadia is located in Trempealeau County in west-central Wisconsin, approximately 130 miles southeast of St. Paul, Minnesota. The city is located on the Trempealeau River with Turton Creek and Meyers Valley Creek flowing through town. The area is subject to flooding from the river, as well as from both creeks. The part of town located south of the Trempealeau River is affected by flooding, which includes Ashley Furniture Industries corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility.

Continuing Authorities Program: Flood Risk Management, Section 205; Minnesota River, Carver Minn.

The city of Carver is subject to flooding from the Minnesota River, as well as from Spring Creek which runs through city of Caver. The population of Carver is approximately 4,000 residents and is the Carver County seat. The majority of the downtown area is considered a Historic District and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Continuing Authorities Program: Flood Risk Management: Section 205, Red River of the North, Wahpeton

Wahpeton is in Richland County in eastern North Dakota, approximately 55 miles south of Fargo, North Dakota. The Red River of the North and the Bois de Sioux River border the city on the east. The confluence of the Otter Tail River with the Red River of the North is located at Wahpeton. The city of Breckenridge, Minnesota, lies east across the Red River of the North from Wahpeton.

Continuing Authorities Program: Streambank Protection, Section 14; Dunn County Highway M

An area of County Highway M along the east bank of the Red Cedar River northeast of Colfax, Wisconsin is being threatened by erosion. The erosion is occurring along the outside bend of the river. Based on surveys, a stretch of river bank that is approximately 500 feet long is actively eroding where the top of bank has encroached on the right of way for County Highway M. Currently the top of bank is within 10-15 feet of the shoulder at the center of the site. Further erosion would lead to a significant safety concern as the bank drops off approximately 50 feet to the water surface below.

Dam Bridge & Gate Painting – Lower St. Anthony Falls through Lock and Dam 10

The St. Paul District operates and maintains 13 locks and dams from Upper St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Lock and Dam 10 in Guttenberg, Iowa. Each lock and dam is a critical step in the "stairway of water" that makes navigation possible between Minneapolis and St. Louis, Missouri. These facilities are aging structures, with locks and dams 2 through 10 originally constructed in the 1930s. These sites include a dam bridge and varying numbers of dam gates. The moveable dam gates are one of the most critical system components because they control pool elevation for navigation, flood control and environmental purposes.

Disposition Study, Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1

A Section 216 study would investigate the appropriate future disposition of three locks and dams located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Upper St. Anthony Falls, Lower St. Anthony Falls and Lock and Dam 1.

Dredged Material Management Plans - Upper Mississippi River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District is responsible for maintaining 244 miles of the Upper Mississippi River 9-foot channel navigation system from the head of navigation at Minneapolis, Minnesota, at river mile 857.6 to Guttenberg, Iowa at river mile 614.0. The navigation system also includes the lower navigable portions of the Minnesota, St. Croix, and Black Rivers. Long term planning for dredged material placement has been ongoing since the mid-1970’s, starting with the GREAT (Great River Environmental Action Team) study from 1974 -1980 and is actively managed to maximize beneficial use of the material.

Eau Galle Lake, Spring Valley, Wisconsin

Eau Galle Lake is located on the Eau Galle River just outside Spring Valley, Wisconsin, approximately 50 miles east of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The project is composed of a large earthen embankment, an uncontrolled morning glory control structure and outlet works, overnight camping areas, a beach, picnic areas, a boat launch for non-motorized vessels only, hiking and equestrian trails and scenic overlooks.

Endangered Species: Conservation of Native Mussels

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the lead agency on the Mussel Coordination Team (MCT). Other members of the MCT include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Departments of Natural Resources from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois.

Environmental Infrastructure Assistance Program: Northeast Minnesota, Section 569

The Section 569 program authorizes the Corps to provide public entities in the 18-county northeastern Minnesota area assistance in the form of design and construction assistance for water-related environmental infrastructure and resource protection and development projects, including projects for wastewater treatment and related facilities, water supply and related facilities, environmental restoration and surface water resource protection and development.

Environmental Infrastructure Assistance: Section 154, Northern Wisconsin

The Section 154 program encompasses Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, and Iron Counties, Wisconsin. Program responsibilities are shared between the St. Paul and the Detroit Districts. It authorizes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance to northern Wisconsin public entities in the form of design, construction and reconstruction assistance for: water-related environmental infrastructure; resource protection and development projects, including navigation and inland harbor improvement and expansion; wastewater treatment and related facilities; water supply and related facilities; environmental restoration and surface water resource protection and development.

Environmental Infrastructure Assistance: Section 594, North Dakota

The program authorizes the Corps to assist public entities, in the form of design and construction for water-related environmental infrastructure, and resource protection and development projects in North Dakota. These projects include wastewater treatment and related facilities. They also include combined sewer overflow, water supply, storage, treatment, and related facilities, as well as environmental restoration and surface water resource protection and development.

Feasiblity Study: Souris River Basin

The Souris River in the North Dakota cities of Burlington, Minot, Logan, and Sawyer had a flood of record in 2011 with flows of 27,000 cubic feet per second. These flows devastated the communities and caused evacuations of more than 10,000 residents and millions of dollars in damage to private and public property. In the mid-1970s, a series of major flood events occurred. To protect the communities, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a series of Public Law 84-99 emergency levees, which were later incorporated into the Federal project.

Flood Control Sites (MN)

Project locations: Orwell Lake on the Otter Tail River, approximately six miles southwest of Fergus Falls, Minnesota; Highway 75 Dam on the upper Minnesota River near Odessa, Minnesota; Lac qui Parle on the Minnesota River near Montevideo, Minnesota; Red Lake Dam located at the outlet of Lower Red Lake in the northeastern part of Clearwater County, Minnesota.

Flood Control Sites (ND)

Project locations: Homme Lake, two miles west of Park River, North Dakota, on the South Branch of the Park River; Lake Ashtabula (Baldhill Dam), 12 miles northwest of Valley City, North Dakota, on the Sheyenne River; Lake Darling, operated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, approximately 20 miles northwest and J. Clark Salyer Wildlife Refuge, is 65 miles northeast of Minot, North Dakota.

Flood Plain Management Services (FPMS)

The Flood Plain Management Services program is authorized by Section 206 of the 1960 Flood Control Act, as amended. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed the FPMS program specifically to address the needs of people who live and work in floodplains to know about the flood hazards and the actions they can take to reduce property damage and prevent the loss of life caused by flooding. The program’s objective is to foster public understanding of the options for dealing with flood hazards and to promote prudent use and management of the nation’s floodplains.

Flood Risk Management: Devils Lake

To continue to meet the appropriate combination of levee and dam safety standards, it was necessary to raise the existing embankments protecting the city of Devils Lake, North Dakota and extend the embankments to high ground. Previously, the embankments had been constructed to an elevation of 1,460 feet.

Flood Risk Management: Fargo-Moorhead Metro

The Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area is a major health, educational, cultural and commercial center. The area is prone to flooding. The Red River of the North has exceeded the National Weather Service flood stage of 18 feet in 51 of the past 113 years (1902 through 2014), and recently every year from 1993 through 2014 except 2012. A 500-year event would flood nearly the entire city of Fargo, a large portion of the city of Moorhead and several smaller communities in the area.

Flood Risk Management: Park River at Grafton, North Dakota

Grafton is in Walsh County, North Dakota, along the Park River, a tributary of the Red River of the North. It is about 340 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Recurrent flooding along the South Branch and main stem Park River has caused significant problems for Grafton. In 1950 the largest flood of record nearly inundated the entire city.

Flood Risk Management: Red River of the North, Breckenridge, Minnesota

Breckenridge is in Wilkin County in western Minnesota, approximately 200 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and 55 miles south of Fargo, North Dakota. The Red River of the North and the Bois de Sioux River border the city on the west. The Otter Tail River flows from the east, bisecting the city. Wahpeton, North Dakota, is located to the west across the Red River from Breckenridge. The devastating flood of 1997 in the Red River basin generated a strong response at all levels of government to implement permanent flood risk management projects for urban communities along the Red River of the North.

Flood Risk Management: Roseau River, Roseau, Minnesota

Roseau is located in the northwestern corner of Minnesota in Roseau County about 10 miles south of the Canadian border and about 65 miles east of the North Dakota border. Roseau’s population is about 2,800. It is home to Polaris Industries, Inc., which employs more than 2,000 people and along with agriculture, provides a solid economic base for the community. Roseau County has 16,000 residents.

Flood Risk Management: Silver Jackets (MN)

Silver Jackets teams are collaborative State-led interagency teams, continuously working together to reduce flood risk at the State level. Through the Silver Jackets program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, additional Federal, State and sometimes local and tribal agencies provide a unified approach to addressing a State’s priorities. Often, no single agency has the complete solution, but each may have one or more pieces to contribute.

Flood Risk Management: Silver Jackets (ND)

Silver Jackets teams are collaborative State-led interagency teams, continuously working together to reduce flood risk at the State level. Through the Silver Jackets program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, additional Federal, State and sometimes local and tribal agencies provide a unified approach to addressing a State’s priorities. Often, no single agency has the complete solution, but each may have one or more pieces to contribute.

Flood Risk Management: Silver Jackets (WI)

Silver Jackets teams are collaborative State-led interagency teams, continuously working together to reduce flood risk at the State level. Through the Silver Jackets program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, additional Federal, State and sometimes local and tribal agencies provide a unified approach to addressing a State’s priorities. Often, no single agency has the complete solution, but each may have one or more pieces to contribute.

Habitat Restoration: Mississippi River, Capoli Slough, Pool 9

Part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, the site is a side channel/island complex located on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River navigation channel in Pool 9, about five miles downstream of Lansing, Iowa. The site is in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Many of the natural islands bordering the navigation channel and extending into the backwater have eroded and many are disappearing. Erosion from wave action and main channel flows is reducing the size of the wetland complex, resulting in the loss of aquatic vegetation and the shallow protected habitats important for the survival of many species of fish and wildlife.

Habitat Restoration: Mississippi River, Conway Lake, Lansing, Iowa

The Conway Lake Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project (HREP) 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, Zoll Lake, as well as the adjacent island and slough habitat. The entire study area is approximately 1,170-acres in size. The study area lies within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

Habitat Restoration: Mississippi River, Harpers Slough, Pool 9, Iowa

Part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, the Harpers Slough area is a 4,150-acre backwater area located primarily on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River in Pool 9, about 3 miles upstream of Lock and Dam 9. The site is in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The area is used heavily by tundra swans, Canada geese, puddle and diving ducks, black terns, nesting eagles, bitterns and cormorants and is also significant as a fish nursery area. Many of the islands in the area have been eroded or lost because of wave action and ice movement. The loss of islands allows more turbulence in the backwater area, resulting in less productive habitat for fish and wildlife.

Habitat Restoration: Mississippi River, Lake Winneshiek

Lake Winneshiek is a 6,000 acre backwater lake on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River navigation channel in lower Pool 9 about 4 miles downstream from Lansing, Iowa. The site lies within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Many of the natural islands in Lake Winneshiek have eroded and disappeared. These islands served to break up wind fetch and wave action, reduce turbidity and provide protection to shallow aquatic areas supporting aquatic plant beds. The increased wave action and associated turbidity have contributed to the observed loss of aquatic plant beds used by migratory waterfowl.

Habitat Restoration: Mississippi River, Lower Pool 10 Islands

Part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, the site is a side channel/island complex located on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River navigation channel in Pool 10, about 1 mile upstream Lock and 10 in Guttenberg, Iowa. The site lies within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Many of the natural islands bordering the navigation channel and extending into the backwater have eroded and are disappearing. Erosion from wave action and main channel flows is reducing the size of the wetland complex, resulting in the loss of aquatic vegetation and the shallow protected habitats important for the survival of many species of fish and wildlife.

Habitat Restoration: Mississippi River, McGregor Lake

Part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, McGregor Lake is a 200-acre backwater lake in Pool 10 of the Mississippi River near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. It is bordered on the west by islands separating it from the main channel and on the east by a peninsula separating it from the east channel. The lake lies within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. It is relatively shallow, with an average depth of 2½ feet. In 1989, about 75 percent of the lake had aquatic vegetation. Since then, aquatic vegetation and depth have decreased because of increased sedimentation and turbidity resulting from erosion of the barrier islands.

Habitat Restoration: North and Sturgeon Lakes, Pool 3

North and Sturgeon Lakes are large backwater complexes located in Pool 3 of the Upper Mississippi River, west of the navigation channel. The project area includes a marshy area at the upstream end and encompasses Sharp Muskrat Lake as well. Historically, these two lakes had an extensive marshy fringe and considerable submersed aquatic plant beds. Today, both lakes are shallow and subject to frequent wind and wave action that keeps sediments suspended and limits aquatic plant growth.

Habitat Restoration: Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program includes studies and projects in the Upper Mississippi River system north of Cairo, Illinois. The system includes the Illinois River. The habitat project component includes dredging backwater areas and channels, constructing dikes, creating and stabilizing islands and controlling side channel flows and water levels. In the St. Paul District, the projects are located along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers from Guttenberg, Iowa (Lock and Dam 10), to Minneapolis, Minnesota, a distance of about 250 river miles. The long-term resource monitoring component includes monitoring trends and impacts with respect to selected resources, developing products for resource management decisions and maintaining river information databases.

Hydropower, Crown Hydro, Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued license 11175 to Crown Hydro, LLC, in 1999 which granted it the exclusive rights to develop a hydropower facility in the Mill Ruins Park area on the Mississippi River near Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Crown Hydro Project was originally proposed to be located in the Crown Roller Building and then, later, on Minneapolis park land. Crown Hydro was unable to secure the needed real estate agreements with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. In 2013, Crown Hydro made a proposal to locate the project on Corps-managed Government land at Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. The total 3.4-megawatt estimated capacity would be enough to provide power to more than 2,300 households.

Hydropower, FERC Licensing

Granting licenses for private hydropower development at Federal facilities falls within the purview of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Private hydropower facilities currently in operation at St. Paul District sites include Xcel Energy at Upper St. Anthony Falls, SAF Hydropower at Lower St. Anthony Falls, Twin Cities Hydropower (Ford Hydropower) at Lock and Dam 1 and the city of Hastings Hydropower at Lock and Dam 2.

Hydropower, Hastings, Lock and Dam 2

The city of Hastings, Minnesota, holds Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license 4306, which granted it the authority to design, construct and operate a hydropower facility on the Mississippi River at Lock and Dam 2 in Hastings. The licensed facility consists of a powerhouse, which is adjacent to the dam and contains two 2,200-kilowatt turbine/generators and a power distribution system. The total 4.4-megawatt estimated capacity is enough to provide power to 3,500 households.

Hydropower, Northern States Power Company, Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam

Northern States Power Company (aka Xcel Energy) holds Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license number 2056, granting it the authority to operate the hydropower facility located at Upper St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hydropower, SAF Hydropower, Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued license number 12451 on Feb. 21, 2006, granting the authority to SAF Hydropower, LLC, to construct and operate a hydropower facility on the Mississippi River at Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The hydropower project includes an 8.98-megawatt generating system composed of a 16-unit turbine matrix, a control building, a transmission line and ancillary facilities. The total capacity of the plant is enough to provide power to 6,200 households.

Hydropower, Symphony Hydro, Minneapolis

On June 26, 2014, Symphony Hydro LLC filed an application with FERC for a preliminary permit, pursuant to section 4(f) of the Federal Power Act, proposing to study the feasibility of a hydropower project to be located within the lock chamber of the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock in Minneapolis, Minnesota. FERC granted permit number P-14627 to Symphony Hydro on October 22, 2014.

Hydropower, Twin Cities Hydro, Lock and Dam 1

Twin Cities Hydro, LLC, holds Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license number 362, which allows it to operate the Ford Hydropower plant on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, Minnesota. The hydropower facility consists of a powerhouse, four 5,800-horsepower Francis turbines and four 4,880-kilowatt generating units, a 2-foot-high inflatable flashboard system atop the concrete dam spillway and a power distribution system. The total capacity of the plant is 17.92 megawatts, or enough to provide power to 14,500 households.

Levee Safety Program (Iowa)

The basic objectives of the Levee Safety Program are to develop balanced and informed assessments of levees within the program; evaluate, prioritize and justify levee safety decisions; and recommend improvements to public safety associated with levee systems. The Corps created the National Levee Database, inventoried all levees in the program and improved inspection procedures. The Corps is developing a method to manage its levee systems and is reviewing and revising current levee-related policies and procedures.

Levee Safety Program (Minnesota)

The basic objectives of the Levee Safety Program are to develop balanced and informed assessments of levees within the program; evaluate, prioritize and justify levee safety decisions; and recommend improvements to public safety associated with levee systems. The Corps created the National Levee Database, inventoried all levees in the program and improved inspection procedures. The Corps is developing a method to manage its portfolio of levee systems and is reviewing and revising current levee-related policies and procedures.

Levee Safety Program (North Dakota)

The basic objectives of the Levee Safety Program are to develop balanced and informed assessments of levees within the program; evaluate, prioritize and justify levee safety decisions; and recommend improvements to public safety associated with levee systems. The Corps created the National Levee Database, inventoried all levees in the program and improved inspection procedures. The Corps is developing a method to manage its portfolio of levee systems and is reviewing and revising current levee-related policies and procedures.

Levee Safety Program (Wisconsin)

The basic objectives of the Levee Safety Program are to develop balanced and informed assessments of levees within the program; evaluate, prioritize and justify levee safety decisions; and recommend improvements to public safety associated with levee systems. The Corps created the National Levee Database, inventoried all levees in the program and improved inspection procedures.

Levee System Evaluations for the National Flood Insurance Program

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) agency-wide process for completion of levee system evaluations in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA administers the NFIP program, which focuses on the 1-percent annual chance exceedance flood, also, referred to as the 100-year or base flood. The FEMA 100-year flood is a flood insurance standard, not a public safety standard.

Level of Service Reduction at the Twin Cities Locks and Dams

Constrained funding and the Nation’s fiscal deficit have led to reduced operations and maintenance funding within the Corps Inland Marine Transportation System (IMTS). When coupled with deteriorating infrastructure and increasing costs of operation, it became clear that the level of service the Corps has been providing at some locks and dams is not sustainable.

Lock and Dam Winter Maintenance

Lock and Dam 5A is located near Winona, Minnesota. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the facility in 1932 as part of the overall 9-foot channel project and it began operation in 1936. After more than 50 years of service, the Corps undertook a major maintenance program in 1989 to update much of the operating equipment and construct a new control building, which was completed in 2000. Lock and Dam 5A is unique in that the control building actually sits on an island in the Mississippi River.

Lower Pool 2 Channel Management Study

Pool 2 is the navigation pool created by the construction of Lock and Dam 2 at Hastings, Minnesota, at river mile 815.2. The pool is approximately 32.4 miles long and stretches upstream to Lock and Dam 1 in Minneapolis at river mile 847.6 (often referred to as the Ford Dam). Between river miles 818 and 820, the navigation channel switches from one bank of the river to the other and back again creating a near 90-degree bend in the river at mile 819.

Marsh Lake Ecosystem Restoration Project

Marsh Lake is on the Minnesota River between Swift and Lac qui Parle Counties near Appleton, Minnesota. The Marsh Lake Dam is owned and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Lac qui Parle Flood Risk Management project. The fixed-crest dam holds a conservation pool in the upper portion of the Lac qui Parle Reservoir. The Works Progress Administration constructed the dam and rerouted the Pomme de Terre River into the reservoir between 1936 and 1939.

Minnesota River Basin Integrated Watershed Study

The Minnesota River originates in southwestern Minnesota at the Minnesota-South Dakota border. It drains 16,770 square miles in Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota and Iowa. It flows 335 miles to join the Mississippi River at Mendota, Minnesota, just south of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The hydrology of the basin has been significantly altered, leading to increased erosion, impaired water quality, substantial sediment and nutrient loads, and degraded aquatic ecosystems in the Minnesota River, Mississippi River, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Mississippi River 9-Foot Project Channel Maintenance

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District is responsible for maintaining 244 miles of the Upper Mississippi River 9-foot channel navigation system from the head of navigation at Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Guttenberg, Iowa. The navigation system also includes the lower navigable portions of the Minnesota, St. Croix, and Black Rivers.

Mississippi River 9-Foot Project, Locks and Dams

The St. Paul District is responsible for maintaining 244 miles of the Upper Mississippi River 9-foot channel navigation system from the head of navigation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Guttenberg, Iowa. The project is located in or contiguous to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. The navigation project within the St. Paul District includes 13 sets of locks and dams that are operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to the locks and dams the project includes channel maintenance, recreation and natural resource activities.

Mississippi River Basin: Regional Discharge-Frequency Study

The Upper Mississippi River corridor is a popular vacation and retirement area and is experiencing continued growth. Much of the area has not been previously studied, and flood risks have not been adequately defined. The Upper Mississippi River Regional Discharge-Frequency Study is conducting hydrologic analyses for development of a consistent set of frequency distributions for discharge and elevation for the Upper Mississippi River from the headwaters area of Lake Bemidji downstream to St. Paul, Minnesota. This study will directly inform floodplain management decisions in 13 counties in Minnesota.

Mississippi River Headwaters Reservoirs

The Mississippi River Headwaters Project consists of six headwaters dams in north-central Minnesota. Cross Lake, Gull Lake, Big Sandy Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish, Pokegama Lake and Leech Lake make up the headwaters lakes system. They were constructed or reconstructed between 1900 and 1913 (work on Pokegama started in 1884 and Winnibigoshish in 1885) to aid navigation on the Mississippi River between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

Mississippi River Lock and Dam 1, Ambursen Dam Downstream Repair

Lock and Dam 1 is located on the Minneapolis side of the Mississippi River. The purpose of this project is to re-establish armor downstream of the concrete apron. The existing rock protection consists of grouted derrick stone. This stone bedding has broken up and washed downstream, exposing bedding material and risking failure of the wooden piles and sheet pile located underneath the existing concrete apron.

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2-10 Embankment Rehabilitation

Earthfill embankments are integral to each of the Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2 through 10. The purpose of this project is to reestablish and armor degraded embankments to prevent further erosion and potential failure during high water events. The existing rock protection is well past its intended design life and does not perform satisfactorily. Wave action from high water causes continued widespread erosion.

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2-10 Guidewall Crib Repairs

Guidewalls are integral to each of the Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2 through 10. Guidewalls are long extensions of the lock walls, in either the upstream or downstream direction, that are parallel to the lock wall. These walls serve primarily to guide the long tows into the lock and to provide mooring facilities for tows too long to be accommodated in a single lockage. The guidewalls are constructed of multiple 35 to 40 feet length concrete monoliths with rock filled timber cribs beneath and behind them.

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2-10 tow haulage system repairs

The tow haulage system is integral to the operation of each of the Mississippi River Locks and Dams 2 through 10. It is attached to the top of the lock and dam guidewall and helps guide tows through the lock chamber. The Lock and Dam 2 through 10 tow haulage system has been deteriorating over the past number of years. Two failures at Lock 7 identified the need for a project to address serviceability and safety issues.

Mississippi River Locks and Dams 3-10 Sheetpile installation at auxiliary locks

Lock and Dams 3-10 have a partially completed auxiliary chamber with a single set of miter gates that may be used to pass shallow draft navigation traffic in the event the lock chamber was out of operation and the upstream and downstream pools were equalized. The Auxiliary Miter Gates are considered emergency gates originally intended to allow for limited navigation if the main lock became inoperable. Only one set of miter gates were installed. Since installation, the auxiliary emergency gates have never been used and the gate operating machinery was never installed.

Mississippi River Recreation and Environmental Stewardship

The Mississippi River recreation and environmental stewardship functions are headquartered in La Crescent, Minnesota. The organization includes Blackhawk Park, a recreation area located 30 miles south of La Crescent with overnight camping, day-use areas and boat launching facilities. Operation and maintenance of three additional boat accesses at Bad Axe, Millstone and Jay’s Lake Landings are also administered by this organization.

Planning Assistance to States (PAS) Program

The study is located in the central Wisconsin River basin, from the headwaters in Vilas County to Lake Wisconsin Dam in Columbia County, Wisconsin. The large hydropower impoundments on the Wisconsin River from Lake DuBay to Lake Wisconsin experience noxious summer blue-green algae blooms due to excessive phosphorus loading. Petenwell and Castle Rock flowages are listed on the Federal Clean Water Act 303(d) impaired waters list due to dissolved oxygen and pH standards violations and are also listed for fish consumption advisories due to the presence of PCBs and dioxin.

Planning Assistance to States (PAS): Wisconsin River Water Quality Study

The study is located in the central Wisconsin River basin, from the headwaters in Vilas County to Lake Wisconsin Dam in Columbia County, Wisconsin. Specific areas of study include the main stem of the Wisconsin River, Mill Creek, Lake DuBay, Big Eau Pleine River and Reservoir, Lake Wisconsin, and Petenwell and Castle Rock Flowages.

Project Alteration Reviews: Section 408

Title 33 USC 408 authorizes the Secretary of the Army to permit others to alter and modify an existing Corps project in certain circumstances. Within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the authority to approve Section 408 permissions has been delegated to the Director of Civil Works at Corps headquarters. Approval for minor or routine alterations may be delegated to district engineers within the Corps. The Corps may grant permission for the alteration or permanent occupation or use of any of its public works when in its judgment such occupation or use will not be injurious to the public interest and will not impair the usefulness of the Federal works.

Red River of the North Basin-Wide Feasibility Study

The Red River of the North basin covers 45,000 square miles and occupies substantial portions of North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, southern Manitoba and a small portion of northeastern South Dakota. Land use in the basin is primarily agricultural, but several urban centers are located along the Red River main stem and tributaries. While extensive drainage systems have resulted in extremely rich agricultural areas, portions of the basin still support the ecologically abundant prairie-pothole region. Flooding is a major concern for residents in the basin; frequent floods have impacts on urban and rural infrastructure and agricultural production.

Red River of the North Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan

The Red River of the North basin is an international, multi-jurisdictional watershed of 45,000 square miles, with 80 percent of the basin lying in the United States and 20 percent in Manitoba, Canada. Eighteen Minnesota counties and 22 North Dakota counties lie wholly or partially in the basin. The river flows to the north, bringing water and nutrients to Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. Flooding and loss of native habitat are significant issues in the Red River basin.

Small-Boat Harbor Dredging, St. Paul, Minnesota

The St. Paul Small-Boat Harbor is on the lower end of Harriet Island in St. Paul, Minnesota, at Upper Mississippi River mile 839.6 on the right descending bank. The length of the harbor is 2,375 feet; the width varies from 200 to 400 feet. The Corps of Engineers is authorized to maintain the harbor to a depth of 5.0 feet below low control pool elevation of 687.2 feet mean sea level (msl). The city of St. Paul is the non-Federal sponsor for the project and is required to furnish a suitable placement site for the dredged material.

Souris Basin Section 408

The Souris River flows from Saskatchewan, Canada, into North Dakota and then back into Canada. The Souris River in the North Dakota cities of Burlington, Minot, Logan, and Sawyer had a flood of record in 2011 with flows of 27,000 cubic feet per second. These flows devastated the communities and caused evacuations of more than 10,000 residents and millions of dollars in damage to private and public property.

Souris Court Levee Repair, Minot, ND

The Souris River flows from Saskatchewan, Canada into North Dakota and then back into Canada. Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota with a population of approximately 46,000 residents. Above normal precipitation during the summer and fall of 2010 left much of the eastern portion of Saskatchewan saturated. The winter of 2010 and 2011 then saw snowfall significantly above normal throughout the basin. The Souris River in the Minot area started to rise in April 2011 and continued to rise throughout May 2011.

Souris River Hydrology and Hydraulics Studies

The Souris (Mouse) River is located in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada, and North Dakota. The headwaters of the basin comprise several rivers in Saskatchewan that meet near the international border and flow into North Dakota. The Des Lacs River joins the Souris upstream of Minot near Burlington, North Dakota. The Souris River then flows through Sawyer and Velva, North Dakota, before turning back to the north and flowing into Manitoba.

St. Croix River Feasibility Study: Endangered Mussel Conservation

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Upper Mississippi River are a significant threat to the endangered Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii) and winged mapleleaf (Quadrula fragosa). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District and Engineer Research and Development Center are conducting a study in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the National Park Service; the Departments of Natural Resources from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa; and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Recommended management alternatives outside the Corps’ existing authorities would need to be implemented by others.

St. Croix River Project Channel Maintenance

The St. Paul District is authorized to maintain a 9-foot navigation channel on the St. Croix River from the mouth at the confluence with the Mississippi River near Prescott, Wisconsin, to river mile 24.5 near Stillwater, Minnesota. The authorized width is 200 feet. A 3-foot channel is authorized from river mile 24.5 to river mile 51.8 near Taylors Falls, Minnesota. The authorized width for this reach is 25 feet, and the controlling depth is 1 foot at extreme low water.

Upper St. Anthony Falls Tainter gate rehabilitation

The Upper St. Anthony Falls (USAF) Lock and Dam is part of the Inland Waterway Navigation System of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. The Tainter gate’s electrical control system has not been upgraded for many decades. Attempts to operate the gate have failed on various occasions and reliability is a concern. There is also question over the condition of the system’s hydraulics because the ram cylinder rooms and operating machinery rooms are constantly wet.