Corps of Engineers celebrates McGregor Lake restoration project completion

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will celebrate the completion of its $25 million McGregor Lake habitat rehabilitation and enhancement project with a ribbon cutting, Sept. 22. The event is open to the public and will take place at the Marquette Marina Pavillion at 1 p.m. in Marquette, Iowa.

McGregor Lake is a 200-acre backwater lake in Pool 10 of the Mississippi River near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The lake lies within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.

The McGregor Lake project improved lake habitat for backwater fish species; increased emergent and submergent vegetation growth; increased age and species diversity of self-sustaining floodplain forest; and protected aquatic and terrestrial habitat by reducing erosion. The forests in the Mississippi River corridor provide critical habitat for migrating songbirds, nesting bald eagles, herons, kingfishers and other birds.

Construction on the restoration project began in 2020. The Corps of Engineers used 500,000 cubic yards of clean river sand dredged from the Mississippi River to construct seven Islands. Dredging the main channel ensures navigation continues on the Mississippi River. Thirty-five acres of backwater fisheries habitat were dredged, which created overwintering habitat for fish and the material was used on top of the islands for growing vegetation. In addition to creating islands, the Corps of Engineers constructed five rock features, and stabilized over a mile of shoreline. This project improved over 270 acres of aquatic habitat, enhanced over 45 acres of floodplain forest, and protected 22 acres of wetlands.

This project is part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program. This program ensures the coordinated development and enhancement of the Upper Mississippi River system with a primary emphasis on habitat restoration projects and resource monitoring. In the 40-year history of the program, more than 62 habitat projects benefiting approximately 120,000 acres from Minneapolis to St. Louis, have been completed.

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