Fish passage at Lock 3 examined

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is studying ways to improve fish passage through U.S. Lock & Dam No. 3.

An informational meeting concerning this study will start at 6 p.m. July 27 in the Red Wing Public Library.

Corps officials believe that improving passage through Lock 3 would provide migratory fish moving upriver from Pool 4 an additional 45,000 acres of channel and river lake habitat in the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers. This would improve the continuity of habitat for fish, as well as also benefit a number of mussel and migratory fish species.

The agency began its study in February and anticipates completing it in 2011.

It is being completed under the authority of the Upper Mississippi River System - Environmental Management Program. The estimated total cost for the feasibility study is $650,000, of which $348,000 has been provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

Tags: red wing, mississippi river, outdoors