The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, awarded a $5.2 million contract to Dubuque Barge and Fleeting Service, from Dubuque, Iowa, to remove dredged material from a temporary storage area near Buffalo City, Wisconsin, on September 29.
The project consists of transferring more than 400,000 cubic yards of dredged material from Lost Island, located on the Mississippi River, west of Buffalo City, Wisconsin, via mechanical and/or hydraulic excavation methods to the Corps-owned upland placement site located near Kellogg, Minnesota.
Removing the material from the temporary site is required in order to continue maintaining the 9-foot navigation channel. Maintaining the channel is vital to ensuring bulk commodities, such as corn and soybeans, can be safely and efficiently transported to global markets.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.
Maintaining the channel
Sedimentation in the channel is caused by the normal cycle of sand movement, erosion from high water or heavy rains and changes in river currents. To maintain the 9-foot navigation channel, the Corps must remove material that settles in the channel area. Mechanical or hydraulic dredging are methods used for the removal of that material.
This material is placed in designated areas along the river. Some of these areas are beneficial use placement areas. Beneficial use of dredged material is the productive use of the material by the public or private sectors.
Examples of common beneficial uses of dredged material are upland habitat development, aquatic habitat enhancement, creation of areas for bird nesting, beach nourishment, winter road maintenance, levee repair and improvement, bank protection and general purpose fill.
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