Corps awards $5.5M contract for Lower Pool 10 restoration project
Written by Marine Log Staff
The St. Paul (Minn.) Engineer District awarded a $5.5 million contract May 14 to Dubuque Barge and Fleeting of Dubuque, Iowa, for Stage 3 of a restoration project in Lower Pool 10 near Guttenberg, Iowa.
Stage 3 of the Lower Pool 10 habitat rehabilitation and enhancement project will focus on the McMillan Island complex between river miles 618 and 619. The work includes island creation, shoreline protection, main channel dredging and overwintering backwater dredging.
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026 and conclude in late 2027.
According to the Corps, many of the natural islands bordering the navigation channel and extending into backwater areas have eroded or disappeared because of flooding, wind and wave action. The loss of the islands has also affected wetlands, aquatic vegetation and shallow protected habitats used by fish and wildlife species.
The project was planned in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, along with input from the local community.
Construction on Stage 1 began in 2025 and is expected to be completed in late 2027. Stage 2, which targets North Ferry Slough, will begin after Stage 1 is complete.
The project is part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program, which focuses on habitat restoration and resource monitoring throughout the Upper Mississippi River system. According to the Corps, more than 60 habitat projects covering about 100,000 acres between Minneapolis and St. Louis have been completed during the program’s 40-year history.
