Lake Odessa ribbon cutting celebrates habitat restoration project completion

Published March 24, 2017

ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, in cooperation with its partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Lake Odessa Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project April 6 at 10:30 a.m. 

The ceremony, which celebrates the completion of the habitat restoration project, will be held at the Fox Pond Overlook Area near the Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge Office located at 10728 County Rd X61, Wapello, Iowa. The public is invited to attend the event. 

The $22.8 million Lake Odessa project has restored more than 6,500 acres of habitat within the Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge and Odessa Wildlife Management Area. The project is part of a regional partnership effort between the federal government and five states that border the Upper Mississippi River. This program, the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, has restored more than 102,000 acres of habitat in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Features of the Lake Odessa project enhanced migratory bird habitat, increased habitat for overwintering fish and improved forest diversity within the refuge and wildlife management areas. These enhancements provide the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state of Iowa with infrastructure and resources that will allow them to manage the space for the wide variety of species inhabiting the Upper Mississippi River.

For more information regarding the ribbon cutting ceremony, call Samantha Heilig at (309) 794-5730.


Contact
Samantha Heilig
(309) 794-5730

Release no. 17-014