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 Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration program, 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 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-round 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
The final feasibility report was approved in February 2021. A construction contract for Stage I was awarded in August 2022 and completed in 2024. A construction contract for Stage II was awarded in February 2024. Plans and specification for Stage III started in 2024.
Additional Information
Authority
Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 under Section 1103 (33 U.S.C 2201 et seq.; P.L. 99-662, 1986)
CG - Construction General
Summarized Project Costs
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Estimated Federal Cost
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$41,977,000
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Estimated Non-Federal Cost
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$0
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Estimated Total Project Cost
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$41,977,000
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Allocations Prior to FY 2024
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$13,153,220
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FY 2024 Allocation
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$8,200,000
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FY 2025 President’s Budget
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$4,075,000
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FY 2025 Total Capability
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$4,075,000
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Major Work Item Current Year
FY 2024: The Project moved forward with the completion of Stage I construction, the award of Stage II construction contract, and the start of Stage III design. During construction, monitoring was be applied using active adaptive management principals to help design future HREPs.
Major Work Item Next Fiscal Year
FY 2025: If funded, the Stage II construction contract will continue, and Stage III design will continue. During construction, monitoring will be applied using active adaptive management principals to help design future HREPs.