Location
Pool 14, Upper Mississippi River Miles 502.5 to 508.0, Clinton and Scott Counties, Iowa and Rock Island County Illinois.
Description
The Steamboat Island Project (Project) is located in the middle section of Pool 14 along the right descending bank of the Upper Mississippi River (UMR), between the town of Princeton, Iowa, and the Wapsipinicon River. The Project lands, part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge are federally-owned.
The Project area is approximately 2,620-acres of interconnected backwaters, secondary channels, wetlands, islands, floodplain habitat and aquatic habitat. Areas considered as part of this Project include Steamboat Island, Steamboat Slough, an adjacent secondary channel complex, smaller islands southeast of Steamboat Island and the forested areas south and north of the Wapsipinicon River. The Princeton State Wildlife Area is just west of the Project area.
The goals are to maintain, enhance and restore quality habitat for desirable native plant, animal and fish species and maintain, enhance, restore and emulate natural river processes, structures and functions for a resilient and sustainable ecosystem. The objectives identified to meet these goals are (1) enhance and restore areal coverage and diversity of forest stands and habitat and increase diversity of bottomland hardwoods forest, as measured in forested acres suitable to support hard-mast species and structure, age, and species composition; (2) increase year around aquatic habitat diversity, as measured by acres and limnophilic native fish use of overwintering habitat, as this habitat is the most limiting of seasonal habitats; (3) restore acreage and topography of islands and protect from erosion within the Project area, as measured by acres; and (4) protect existing backwater habitat from sedimentation and enhance backwater and interior wetland areas, as measured by acres of backwater and survivability of scrub-shrub/pollinator habitat..
Potential Project Features include:
• Excavate channels in backwater areas
• Topographic diversity measures
• Implement Timber Stand Improvement techniques
• Restore and protect islands
• Construct bank protection and incorporate mussel substrate, where appropriate
Background
Human activity within the UMR basin, floodplain and channel has altered the hydrology, topography and biotic communities present. Years of silt deposition has allowed willows and silver maples to colonize the once-aquatic portions of the Project area, resulting in degraded aquatic and wetland complexes. Impoundment of the pool and permanently higher water tables have affected the health of floodplain habitat on islands and adjacent floodplain areas. These higher water tables are affecting forest composition and regeneration. All of these alterations have reduced the quality and diversity of aquatic and floodplain habitats, impaired ecosystem functions and reduced the acreage of Steamboat Island and other smaller islands in the area.
Status
Feasibility report has been initiated in 2017 and is scheduled for completion in 2020.
Additional Information
Congressional Interest
Senators: Charles Grassley (IA), Joni Ernst (IA), Richard Durbin (IL), Tammy Duckworth (IL)
Representatives: IA-2 (Dave Loebsack), IL-17 (Cheri Bustos)
Authority
CG - Construction General
Summarized Project Costs
| Estimated Federal Cost |
$13,335,800 |
| Estimated Non-Federal Cost |
$0 |
| Estimated Total Project Cost |
$13,335,800 |
| Allocations Prior to FY 2020 |
$1,423,000 |
| FY 2020 Allocation |
$354,000 |
| FY 2020 Total Capability |
$354,000 |
*Programmatic Amount
Major Work Item Current Year
FY 2020: Funds are being used to complete the feasibility report and to continue pre-project monitoring.