Construction Begins On Sturgeon Lake Environmental Project

The St. Paul Engineer District began construction activities recently in Sturgeon Lake in Pool 3 of the Mississippi River and at the Sturgeon Lake boat landing near Red Wing, Minn.

Construction is expected to continue through November.

The project, planned in collaboration with the Prairie Island Indian Community and the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of natural resources, will restore floodplain habitat and enhance wetland habitat on Buffalo Slough Island, which is an 8-acre island located within Sturgeon Lake.

The project will beneficially reuse approximately 4,000 cubic yards of dredged material from the Mississippi River at Diamond Bluff and 8,000 cubic yards of material near the marina in Sturgeon Lake to raise the elevation of the Buffalo Slough Island by up to 2 feet. The island improvements will increase the size of the island by approximately 2 acres, protect it from erosion and deflect the flow of the river away from the island. The island will also be planted with flood-tolerant trees in 2022. These features are designed to restore the floodplain forest that once dominated the island, as well as create wetland habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Due to ongoing construction activities for the project, the Sturgeon Lake boat landing will have limited parking Monday through Thursday but will be fully open to the public Friday through Sunday.