OMAHA, Neb. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Iowa Department of Natural Resources will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 19 at the Desoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, 1434 316th Lane, in Missouri Valley, Iowa. The purpose of the meeting is to seek public input on the development of two proposed shallow water habitat projects. One project is located at Wilson Island State Recreation Area and the other at Desoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge.
The public meeting will run from 6 to 8 p.m. with a brief opening presentation followed by an open house session. During the open house session, the project team will be available at information stations to answer questions and gather public input on the project.
"The purpose of site-specific Missouri River Recovery Program projects such as those at Wilson Island State Recreation Area and Desoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge is to restore habitat for federally endangered pallid sturgeon and to mitigate the loss of fish and wildlife habitat that occurred due to construction of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project," said Dave Crane, environmental resources specialist with the Corps of Engineers.
Input may be submitted during the public meeting or mailed to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District
ATTN: CENWO-PM-AC (Dave Crane)
1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 68102-4901
BACKGROUND: The Wilson Island project follows the existing backwater along the eastern boundary of the recreation area property. The DeSoto Bend project is located across the river from the northern end of DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge, on the south bank in Harrison County, Iowa.
Release no. 20130313-001