St. Paul District Awards $31.7 Million Upper Mississippi Dredging Contract

The St. Paul Engineer District awarded a $31.7 million contract to LS Marine Inc., Inver Grove Heights, Minn., for mechanical dredging operations on the Upper Mississippi and other rivers.

This work will facilitate long-term channel maintenance dredging and placement of dredged material for the Upper Mississippi River System 9-foot navigation channel. Dredging will include parts of the Upper Mississippi River, the Minnesota River, the St. Croix River and the Black River within the St. Paul District. Additional dredging of the Upper Mississippi River in the Rock Island District may also be covered.

The contract provides a minimum guarantee of $1.25 million for two mechanical dredging plants through the end of the 2024 navigation season, with additional work options through 2029. The four additional years of maintenance dredging ensure the navigation channel remains open for the foreseeable future.

“Dredge operations are critical in ensuring the 9-foot navigation channel remains open for the nearly 14 million tons of commodities that pass through our locks and dams over a 10-year average,” said Nick Castellane, project manager. “The options on the contract allow us to get to work quickly if we see similar conditions in coming years.”