The USACE St. Paul District awarded a $14.7 million contract to LS Marine on June 25, to restore habitat on Pigs Eye Lake, located in upper Pool 2 of the Mississippi River.
The project will enhance and restore backwater habitat by creating island and wetland features on Pigs Eye Lake using more than 400,000 cubic yards of material dredged from the Mississippi River by the Corps of Engineers during maintenance of the navigation channel.
The project features, including island construction with sand benches, marsh habitat restoration and terrestrial planting, have the objective of reducing wind and wave action, improving vegetation, creating thermal shelter for waterfowl, and protecting against shoreline erosion.
The total project footprint will be approximately 40 acres and will provide benefits to more than 600 acres of Pigs Eye Lake and the surrounding habitat.
The project will have temporary, minor adverse impacts on noise levels, aesthetic values and recreational opportunities, said USACE.
Work is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 with additional monitoring and management to follow.