Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/36574
Title: Upper Mississippi River Restoration Feasibility Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment : Beaver Island Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, Pool 14, Upper Mississippi River Miles 513.0-517.0, Clinton County, Iowa
Authors: United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Rock Island District
Keywords: Restoration ecology
Environmental protection
Environmental management
Wetlands
Mississippi River
Publisher: United States. Army. Corps of Engineers. Rock Island District.
Abstract: The Beaver Island Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project is located in Clinton County, Iowa, between the cities of Camanche and Clinton, in Pool 14 between Upper Mississippi River river miles 513.0 and 517.0. All Project lands are in Federal ownership and are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as part of the UMR National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The Project area is comprised of 1,678 acres of interconnected backwaters, secondary channels, wetlands, and floodplain habitat. Human activity, such as channel manipulation for navigation purposes, over the past two centuries within the UMR basin, floodplain, and channel has altered the hydrology, topography, and biotic communities present in the Project area. These alterations have reduced the diversity and quality of aquatic habitat, reduced the acreage and diversity of the native floodplain forest and reduced the acreage and diversity of isolated ephemeral wetlands. While these stressors are likely to continue, as will the decline of the quality of aquatic, wetland and floodplain habitat, this Project provides an opportunity to improve the quality and diversity of critical habitats. The goals of the Project are to restore and protect off-channel aquatic, wetland, and floodplain forest habitats. The objectives identified to meet these goals are to: 1) increase year-round aquatic habitat diversity, as measured by acres and native fish use of spawning, rearing and overwintering habitat; 2) diversify floodplain forest habitat on Beaver Island, as measured in acres of elevated topography and number of hard mast tree species present in Project area; and 3) increase structure and function of side channel habitat, as measured by native freshwater mussel use. For planning purposes, the period of analysis was established as 50 years. The following enhancement measures were considered to achieve the Project goals and objectives: • excavate channels in backwater areas • construct elevated berms using excavated channel material • plant mast producing trees on the elevated berms • use timber stand improvement techniques • place a rock closure structure on the island’s upstream end • construct a chevron, place bank protection, and provide mussel substrate at Albany Island. Cost and habitat benefits were estimated for each measure. Habitat benefits were estimated using Habitat Evaluation Procedures. Cost-effectiveness and incremental analyses were conducted to identify cost effective plans and reveal changes in cost for increasing levels of environmental outputs. The Recommended Plan provides 210.2 net Average Annual Habitat Units of habitat. The Recommended Plan, shown on Figure ES-1, would restore backwater habitat by excavating backwater channels to a depth of 8 feet or more below flat pool to provide overwintering and year-round habitat for fish. Excavated material will be used to construct land berms to enhance topographic diversity. The land berms will be planted with native floodplain forest vegetation and trees. Other timber stand improvement actions will also occur such as tree releases, girdling, and interspersed tree plantings. A rock closure structure will be constructed at the entrance to Upper Cut on Beaver Island’s upstream end to reduce overwintering water velocities and sediment deposition. A rock chevron, bank protection, and substrate will be placed on Albany Island to protect and enhance an existing mussel bed. Implementation of the Recommended Plan will increase the quality and quantity of preferred habitat at this location. The Project outputs meet site management goals and objectives and support the overall goals and objectives of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) and the UMR National Wildlife and Fish Refuge.
Description: Feasibility Report with Integrated Environmental Assessment
Rights: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/36574
Appears in Collections:Environmental Documents

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