Corps Awards $10 Million Contract To Build Mississippi River Island

The St. Paul Engineer District awarded a $10 million contract to Three Oaks Construction Inc. of North Sioux City, South Dakota, to build a protective island upstream from the embankment at Lock and Dam 2, near Hastings, Minn., on September 24.

The goal of the protective island is to safeguard the existing embankment on the upstream, windward side acting as a buffer from wind and wave erosion. The 3,250-foot-long earthen embankment, originally constructed in 1930, has since suffered degradation due to weather conditions, lack of vegetation, and high-water erosion.

The island will be constructed using nearby river material from the 9-foot navigation channel that will feature various heights above the typical pool elevation to provide habitat benefits including tall grasses, tree plantings, a wetland, rock features and an overwintering fish habitat.

The work is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025 and should be completed by the fall of 2027.

“Improving the embankment will strengthen the Corps’ navigation mission while simultaneously improving the ecosystem’s habitat quality, creating a safer environment for wildlife,” said Nick Castellane, Corps of Engineers’ project manager.

The St. Paul District manages more than 77,000 acres of land and more than 284,000 permanent easements across the Upper Midwest. Of these lands, the district’s natural staff is responsible for grassland, fisheries, forest and management; regulating public use; managing water levels; establishing and enhancing vegetation; shoreline stabilization and more.