Construction of islands in Harper’s Slough, located in Pool 9 of the Upper Mississippi River, is well underway.
The work will span four construction seasons and is anticipated to be complete in 2018.
A single construction contract was awarded in September 2014 and the remaining options exercised in October 2014 for a total construction cost of $11.9 million.
The proposed project will protect five existing islands and construct an additional seven islands using material from the backwater and main channel.
The scheme will slow the loss of existing islands, reduce the flow of sediment-laden water into the backwaters, reduce turbidity and increase the diversity of land and shoreline habitat.
This is the latest photo from the Harper’s Slough project, just published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ St. Paul District on their official facebook page.