The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District (District), requests public review of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment titled, LaGrange Lock and Dam 1,200 Foot Lock, dated November 2024. The Rock Island District is interested in public review and comments regarding the project analysis and outcomes. The Draft Supplemental Environmental Assessment can be found at the following link: https://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/rock-island-district/programs/nesp/lagrange-1200-ft-lock/
The public is invited to submit comments for this project until January 3, 2025. The District is required to seek public comment on Environmental Assessments as part of the National Environmental Policy Act. All comments will be compiled and addressed in a final decision document or in additional findings.
A public meeting and information session is scheduled for December 11, 2024, from 5pm-8pm, at the Meredosia Chambersburg School District, 830 Main Street, Meredosia, IL, 62665.
Comments can be submitted through email at: CEMVR_Planning@usace.army.mil, or by writing to the address below.
To request a paper copy or CD, contact the District’s Environmental Planning Branch at 309-794-5540, email CEMVR_Planning@usace.army.mil, or write to:
Department of the Army
US Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District
Attn: Acuff (PD-P)
Clock Tower Building
P. O. Box 2004
Rock Island, IL 61204-2004
PROJECT INFORMATION
The USACE Rock Island District proposes to construct an approximately 1,200-foot (ft; 365.8 meter) lock chamber at the LaGrange Lock and Dam site near County Road 1800 E (State Route 12), Versailles, Illinois, 9-river miles downstream from the City of Beardstown, in Brown County. Additional project features include construction of upstream and downstream approach channels and associated guide walls, as well as mooring facilities. The project area, located along the west bank of the Illinois River (a part of the Illinois Waterway), encompasses approximately 425.7 acres, and is in the immediate vicinity of the existing LaGrange Lock and Dam.
The purpose of constructing a new 1,200-ft lock west (landward) of the existing 600-ft lock at LaGrange is to eliminate double-lockages, ease congestion, reduce delays, add redundancy, and increase safety. The proposed development would provide a balance between the economic, and social conditions to ensure the Upper Mississippi River System, which includes the Illinois Waterway, would continue to be a nationally treasured ecological resource and efficient transportation system as designated by Congress in the 1986 Water Resources Development Act (Public Law 90-662).
A Final Integrated Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Upper Mississippi River – Illinois Waterway System Navigation (UMR-IWW) Feasibility Study (System Study) was completed in 2004 to address potential economic losses to the Nation for significant traffic delays at commercial navigation system locks between 2000-2050. The principal navigation problem addressed by the 2004 System Study was the potential for significant traffic delays on the UMR-IWW. The construction of a 1200-ft lock at the LaGrange Lock and Dam was one part of the System Study’s chosen Preferred Alternative to improve navigation on the UMR-IWW.
The purpose of this Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) is to evaluate the proposed alternatives for constructing a new 1,200-ft lock at LaGrange. This SEA focuses on the prominent issues and resources specific to the proposed construction. It documents existing conditions, evaluates potential impacts associated with each alternative, and assists in planning and decision-making.
Click the link below to access the project website and project documents.