The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, and its partner, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, celebrate the completion of the Peoria Upper Island Critical Restoration Project with a ribbon cutting ceremony August 1 at 11 a.m. outside the Gateway Building located at 200 NE Water Street, Peoria, Ill.
The nearly $8 million dollar restoration project is part of the Illinois River Basin Restoration Program, which is a partnership between the U.S Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Illinois. Since its initiation in 2002, the Program has completed the Illinois River Basin Restoration Comprehensive Plan as well as site specific feasibility studies at seven other restoration sites within the basin. Completion of the Peoria Upper Island Project is in addition to the previously completed Waubonsie and Blackberry Creek Fish Passage Critical Restoration Projects.
The Peoria Upper Island Critical Restoration Project enhances aquatic habitats through the restoration of depth and reduction of sediment. The project has additional benefits for recreational boating and fishing. Peoria Lake, the largest bottomland lake in the Illinois River Valley, reflects changes similar to other lakes with loss of aquatic habitat due to sedimentation.
In carrying out this project a contractor dredged 374,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Illinois River to restore 49.6 acres of aquatic habitat used by fish and migrating waterfowl. The dredged sediment was used to create a 24 acre island which provides additional wildlife habitat and a buffer to normal sedimentation rates for the restored aquatic habitat area.
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Press Release, July 29, 2014