Ellicott’s 460SL dredge restoring peninsulas around McGregor Lake

As part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, Ellicott’s 460SL will be used to help restore eroding peninsulas around McGregor Lake, deepen backwater habitat for overwintering fish, and enhance floodplain forest habitat.

Thanks to its ability to switch from swinging ladder to conventional mode, depending upon the project requirements, the Series 460SL SWINGING DRAGON cutterhead dredge is ideal for environmental cleanup, waterways restoration and lake projects.

The dredge’s swinging ladder mode allows for use in narrow channels and eliminates the need for cables and anchors.

On the other hand, the conventional dredging mode allows for wider swing widths for optimal precision cut and production efficiency.

McGregor Lake is a 200-acre backwater lake in Pool 10 of the Mississippi River near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

It is bordered on the west by islands separating it from the main channel and on the east by a peninsula separating it from the east channel.

The lake lies within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. It is relatively shallow, with an average depth of 2½ feet.

In 1989, about 75 percent of the lake had aquatic vegetation. Since then, aquatic vegetation and depth have decreased because of increased sedimentation and turbidity resulting from erosion of the barrier islands.

When completed, the McGregor Lake restoration work will provide productive habitat for fish and protect the lake from main channel flows during the winter.