ST. PAUL, Minn. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ St. Paul District is seeking public comment on a proposed dredged material management plan for Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River, which stretches from Lock and Dam 8 near Genoa, Wisconsin, to Lock and Dam 9 near Lynxville, Wisconsin.
The plan is intended to provide a coordinated, long-term strategy for managing dredged material needed to maintain the river’s 9-foot navigation channel over the next 20 years.
The Corps is reviewing the project’s environmental impacts in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. A copy of the environmental assessment is available at the Corps’ public notices webpage: https://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/Home/PublicNotices.aspx..
A final determination on the draft environmental assessment will be made after the public comment period concludes.
Public comments must be submitted by Oct. 2. Questions may be emailed to StPaulDMMP@usace.army.mil. Written comments should be addressed to the St. Paul District, Corps of Engineers, Attn: Regional Planning and Environment Division North, 332 Minnesota St., Suite E1500, St. Paul, MN 55101-1678.
According to the Corps, the proposed plan was developed in response to a growing need for dredged material placement capacity as annual dredging volumes have increased in recent years. The agency expects to dredge approximately 2.5 million cubic yards of river sand in Pool 9 over the next two decades and has identified sites it proposes to use for material placement.
The St. Paul District maintains the 9-foot navigation channel along the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to Guttenberg, Iowa. Corps officials said the waterway plays a critical role in the nation’s economy by supporting the movement of agricultural and industrial commodities.
In 2025, the district supported the transportation of more than 8.5 million tons of commodities, including corn, soybeans, fertilizer and cement, according to the Corps.
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