Upper Mississippi River - Illinois Waterway System Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP)

Location:

Upper Midwest - Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin

Description:

NESP is a long-term program of ecosystem restoration and navigation improvements for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). NESP will improve system capacity and reduce commercial traffic delays through construction of seven new 1,200-foot locks, mooring cells, and switchboat implementation.

The UMRS transports more than 60 percent of America’s corn and soybeans, is home to 25 percent of North America’s fish species, and is a globally important flyway for 40 percent of North America’s migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. The UMRS ecosystem consists of 2.7 million acres of bottomland forest, islands, backwaters, side channels and wetlands, all of which support more than 300 bird species, 57 mammal species, 45 amphibian and reptile species, 150 fish species, and nearly 50 mussel species. The diversity and abundance of native aquatic plants and animals are being impacted by degradation, loss of habitat and the arrival of several exotic species.

The program area comprises the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), as defined by Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (WRDA 1986), which includes the Upper Mississippi River from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Cairo, Illinois; the Illinois Waterway from Chicago to Grafton, Illinois; and navigable portions of the Minnesota, St. Croix, Black, and Kaskaskia Rivers. This multi-use resource supports an extensive navigation system (made up of 1200 miles of 9-foot channel and 37 lock and dam sites), a diverse ecosystem (2.7 million acres of habitat supporting hundreds of fish and wildlife species), floodplain agriculture, recreation, and tourism. Based on the recommendation of the UMR-IWW System Navigation Feasibility Study that examined system needs over the next 50 years, the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) was implemented to achieve the dual purposes of UMRS ecosystem restoration and navigation improvements.

The existing locks and dams were constructed in the 1930's and experience significant delays due to the single 600-foot lock chambers, which require the 1,200-foot tows to “double lock”. On the UMRS, there is only a single lock chamber at 35 of 37 sites. The new 1,200-foot locks will increase system reliability and would dramatically decrease lockage times. Additionally, the new 1,200-foot locks will eliminate the single point of failure of having only one lock. If a major lock component breaks, it has the potential to cause a lock closure and stop all inland navigation traffic. The 1,200-foot lock will also eliminate double lockage’s and provide an additional chamber to ensure navigation traffic can continue to flow even during major repairs.

The construction new start and construction appropriations ensure that the goals of the program - increasing the capacity and improving the reliability of the inland navigation system while restoring, protecting, and enhancing the environment through implementation of an integrated, dual-purpose plan can be implemented to ensure the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the Upper Mississippi River System. The combination of ecosystem and navigation in a single USACE program required many years of coordination with both the navigation and ecosystem partners and it will alter the future of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) to ensure it remains the vital transportation and ecosystem corridor for the next 100+ years.

Lock 25 1200’ Lock:

Lock 25 is one of seven 1200’ lock chambers authorized by the program and the first to be funded for construction. Lock 25 received $732M to fund the project and additional funding will be needed to complete the project. The project scope includes a new 1200’ lock chamber adjacent to the existing 600’ chamber and upstream/downstream approach walls. The new lock will improve efficiency, reliability, and safety for Navigation traffic transiting the facility along with adding operational redundancy at Lock 25. When complete, benefits will be realized by the entire Nation, as Lock 25 provides an important link to exporting greater than 60% of the nation’s corn and soybean products to world markets. The new 1200’ lock will accommodate the largest tow configurations on the Upper Mississippi River thereby reducing lockage times for those vessels from two and a half hours or more to approximately 45 minutes. Upcoming project milestones include: 1) 65% design completion, 2) Acquisition strategy finalization, 3) Updated certified cost (last was in June 2023). The project was funded for $732M in the FY22 BIL, and requires an additional $1,531,062,000 to fully fund construction.

LaGrange 1200’ Lock:

LaGrange is one of seven 1200’ lock chambers authorized by the program and has been funded for design. LaGrange has received a total of $69.3M to complete the project design. Project features include construction of new 1200-foot rock-founded lock located landward of the existing 600-foot chamber, associated lock support buildings, approach walls, and approach channels. The existing 600-foot lock will remain in place and become an auxiliary lock chamber. The project also includes associated channel work, relocations/alterations, and site-specific environmental mitigation. The new lock will improve efficiency, reliability, and safety for Navigation traffic transiting the facility along with adding operational redundancy at LaGrange. When complete, benefits will be realized by the entire Nation, as LaGrange provides an important link to exporting greater than 60% of the nation’s corn and soybean products to world markets. The new 1200’ lock will accommodate the largest tow configurations on the Illinois Waterway thereby reducing lockage times for those vessels from two and a half hours or more to approximately 45 minutes. The project is fully funded for design, and the $40M received in FY24 Appropriations is being utilized for a hydraulic steel structure fabrication contract. Upcoming project milestones include: 1) Award of the initial construction contract in FY24 and 2) Completion of the 35% design.

Lock 22 Fish Passage:

Lock and Dam 22 is one of five fish passage locations on the Mississippi River authorized by the program and the first to be funded for construction. Lock 22 fish passage received $97.1M to fund design and initiate construction of the project. The project scope includes construction of a 200’-wide rock ramp fishway, an ice/debris barrier, bridge, and stoplogs. In addition, the project includes pre and post project monitoring activities to optimize the structure during design and after the project is completed. When complete, the project will provide the means for fish access to upstream mainstem river and tributary habitats resulting in an increase of size and distribution of native migratory fish populations, returning the river to pre-lock and dam conditions from a fish habitat standpoint. Upcoming project milestones include: 1) Construction contract award by 30 September 2024, 2) On-site construction initiation.

Congressional Support:

NESP has strong Bipartisan support, receiving $829.1M from the FY22 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $214.4M total from Regular Appropriation Earmarks in FYs 22, 23, and 24.

Key Takeaways:

• NESP continues to efficiently execute BIL funding and annual appropriations, with 6 projects having completed construction (4 Ecosystem, 2 Navigation), 2 projects in construction, 9 projects in design, and 15 in planning throughout the basin. All FY22 and FY23 Earmark funding will be 100% utilized by 30 September 2024. Continued annual appropriations allows the program to implement authorized program features to ensure comparable progress for navigation and ecosystem projects. The program requires annual funding to continue efficient implementation of the 26 ongoing projects. The $54M identified in the FY25 Senate and House Draft bills is for the ecosystem program only, and will be utilized to construct up to three projects (Effigy Mounds Cultural Site Protection, Middle Mississippi Stone Dike Alterations, and Clarksville/Carrol Islands and Side Channel) along with continuation of the 13 ongoing project implementation reports in both planning and design. The $54M is sufficient to maintain efficient project schedules for the ecosystem program, however, with no navigation funding currently identified there are concerns that ongoing navigation activities will not be able to continue. These activities include administration of 6 construction contracts and ongoing design for the LaGrange new 1200’ Lock. It is estimated that $20M is required to maintain ongoing navigation activities. 

• Earmark funding received in FY24 will be utilized for the initial construction contract at the LaGrange new 1200' Lock (machinery fabrication), construction of 7 mooring facilities, Lock and Dam 22 Fish Passage construction, and continuation of the 13 ecosystem sustainability projects to include planning, design, and construction.

• The combination of ecosystem and navigation in a single USACE program required many years of coordination with both the navigation and ecosystem partners and it will alter the future of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) to ensure it remains the vital transportation and ecosystem corridor for the next 100+ years.

Status:

FY 2022:

• $829.1M received from BIL – Lock 25 New 1200’ Lock ($732M) and Lock 22 Fish Passage ($97.1M).
• $45.1M received from Earmark funding – projects include navigation and ecosystem.
• $12.179M received from FY22 USACE Work Plan – projects include systemic mitigation. 

FY 2023:

• $49.3M received from Earmark funding for the new 1200’ Lock at LaGrange.
• $18.379M received from the USACE FY23 Work Plan for Lock 22 Fish Passage and other ecosystem projects.

FY2024

• $120M received from Earmark funding for navigation and ecosystem projects.

Additional Information

Authority:

CG – Construction - Title VIII of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2007, P.L. 110-114 and WRDA 2022, P.L. 117-263.

Summarized Project Costs

Major Work Items Current Year

FY2024: The Program moved forward with the following:

Navigation:

• Lock 25 1200’ Lock
  • 65% design
  • Completion of construction of Phase 1, preparation of the existing lock wall for the new 1200’ lock.
  • Development of the project acquisition strategy.
• LaGrange New 1200’ Lock
  • 35% design
  • Award of the initial construction contract (steel structure fabrication)
• Mooring Facilities
  • Design and preparation of plans and specifications for 7 new mooring facilities.
  • Construction contract awards for all 7 mooring facilities
• Lock 14 Mooring Cell
  • Project construction completion
• Mitigation
  • Moore’s Towhead project construction completion
  • Implementation plan for systemic mitigation

Ecosystem:

• Lock and Dam 22 Fish Passage
  • Design completion.
  • Construction contract award
  • Pre-project fish monitoring with USGS and USFWS.
• Twin Island, Alton Pool, Starved Rock, Pool 2 Ecosystem Projects
  • Project construction completion for all projects.
• Partner consultation (USGS, USFWS, States of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, UMRBA)
  • Funding provided for NESP involvement.
• Project Planning
  • Continued planning efforts for the projects initiated in FY22.
  • Seven new ecosystem projects at multiple locations in the Upper Mississippi River basin.

Major Work Items Next Fiscal Year

FY 2025: The Program will proceed with the following:

Navigation:

• Lock 25 1200’ Lock
  • Completion of 65% design, fabrication of bulkheads (13 bulkheads) for future new 1200’ lock dewatering efforts, and an additional contract for the new maintenance building and procurement of specialized design services.
  • Completion of the project acquisition strategy.
• LaGrange New 1200’ Lock
  • Project design completion.
  • Fabrication of hydraulic steel structures (expected to take 5 years to complete).
• Mooring Facilities
  • Construction of 7 new mooring facilities.
• Mitigation
  • Pool 4 project completion

Ecosystem:

• Lock and Dam 22 Fish Passage
  • Construction of the project.
  • Fish monitoring with USGS and USFWS.
• Partner consultation (USGS, USFWS, States of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, UMRBA)
• Project Planning
  • Continued planning and design efforts for the projects initiated in FY22 and FY23 (13 total projects).