Construction activities in Sturgeon Lake starting soon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will soon begin construction activities in Sturgeon Lake in Pool 3 of the Mississippi River and at the Sturgeon Lake boat landing near Red Wing, Minnesota.

According to the Corps, construction is expected to begin the week of Aug. 30, and will continue through November.

The project, planned in collaboration with the Prairie Island Indian Community and the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources will restore floodplain habitat and enhance wetland habitat on Buffalo Slough Island, which is an 8-acre island located within Sturgeon Lake.

The project will beneficially reuse approximately 4,000 cubic yards of dredged material from the Mississippi River at Diamond Bluff and 8,000 cubic yards of material near the marina in Sturgeon Lake to raise the elevation of the Buffalo Slough Island by up to 2 feet.

The island improvements will increase the size of the island by approximately two acres, protect it from erosion and deflect the flow of the river away from the island.

These features are designed to restore the floodplain forest that once dominated the island, as well as create wetland habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Due to ongoing construction activities for the project, the Sturgeon Lake boat landing will have limited parking Monday through Thursday but will be fully open to the public Friday through Sunday, concluded the Corps.