Project summary
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is proposing a project to restore degraded backwater habitat and floodplain forest. The project includes dredging accumulated sediments from an approximately 5-acre area of a backwater in Upper Pool 9 of the Mississippi River to create deep lentic aquatic habitat for fishes. Dredged material will be used to increase land elevation in ~5 acres of floodplain to facilitate the re-establishment of forest killed by flooding and changing hydrology to restore floodplain forest and promote natural regeneration.
Record of Decision on Environmental Assessment Worksheet
The DNR, as the Responsible Governmental Unit (RGU) for environmental review of the project, has issued a Record of Decision (ROD) regarding the Need for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project.
The DNR has concluded that an EIS is not required because the project does not have the potential for significant environmental effects. The justification for this determination is contained in the ROD. Public notice of the availability of EAW documents for public comment was in the Oct. 7, 2025 edition of the EQB Monitor.
Issuing this ROD concludes the state environmental review process for this project according to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board rules, Minnesota Rules, part 4410.1000 to 4410.1700.