US Army Corps of Engineers
Chicago District

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  • Corps to hold public meeting for 2014 Indiana Harbor dredging schedule

    A public meeting will be held in East Chicago, Ind., March 13, 2014, to present the Indiana Harbor and Canal 2014 dredging schedule and activities.

  • Army Corps seeks public comment on proposed revisions to Des Plaines River report

    The Corps has released for public review Documentation of Changes to the Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment for the “Upper Des Plaines River and Tributaries, Illinois and Wisconsin Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment,” originally released to the public on Sept. 3, 2013. The document was prepared based on public comment and outlines proposed changes to the variety of potential flood risk management and ecosystem restoration projects that could be implemented along the Upper Des Plaines River – an area that extends approximately from southern Racine County, Wis., to Riverside, Ill.

  • Corps submits report to Congress with alternatives to prevent Asian carp and other species’ transfer between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins

    The Corps submitted to Congress the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS) Report Jan. 6, 2014. The report contains eight alternatives, each with concept-level design and cost information, and evaluates the potential of these alternatives to prevent, to the maximum extent possible, the spread of 13 aquatic nuisance species, to include Asian carp. The options concentrate on the Chicago Area Waterway System and include a wide spectrum of alternatives ranging from continuing current activities to complete separation of the watersheds.

  • Corps releases research on fish behavior from barge tows crossing electric barriers

    The Corps, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, released preliminary findings from research following laboratory and field experiments to assess potential impacts on fish behavior from barge tows crossing the electric fish barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Additional review and analysis, as well as additional testing will be required to fully understand the data and any potential impact on barrier operations and navigation in the CSSC.

  • Contract awarded for Burnham Prairie Annex ecosystem restoration project

    The Chicago District awarded a contract for $1.2 million Sept. 30, 2013, to Industria Inc. for ecosystem restoration on 39 acres at Burnham Prairie Annex, one mile south of Chicago. The project includes removing invasive plants, performing prescribed burns, planting native species and monitoring the effectiveness of aquatic-plant-control techniques.

  • Corps awards contract for Chicago shoreline storm damage reduction project

    $11.37 million contract awarded for the Chicago shoreline storm damage reduction project from Montrose Harbor to Irving Park Road. This project is one of 23 segments repairing 9.5 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline in Chicago. The overall project will be approximately 80 percent complete with conclusion of this segment. Construction is set to begin spring 2014 and end July 2015.

  • Corps awards contract for Rosewood Beach ecosystem restoration project

    The Corps awarded a $7.34 million contract for the Rosewood Beach Great Lakes Fishery and Ecosystem Restoration project in Highland Park, Ill. Construction is set to begin late fall and end in 2018. Restoration includes new breakwaters for dune formation and native plantings, stream daylighting for fish habitat, and bluff and ravine restoration to improve this unique ecosystem.

  • Contract awarded for Burns Approach Channel dredging and disposal

    The district awarded a contract for $867,500, Sept. 25, 2013, to Luedtke Engineering Company LLC. for mechanical dredging and disposal of 75,000 cubic yards at Burns Approach Channel in Portage, Ind. The dredged material will be placed in water along Ogden Dunes. Work is expected to begin spring 2014. Severe shoaling occurred at this channel as a resultant of Hurricane Sandy.

  • Corps announces dates for public meetings to discuss Des Plaines River report

    The dates and locations have been announced for public meetings to discuss the “Upper Des Plaines River and Tributaries, Illinois and Wisconsin Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment,” released for public comment on Sept. 3, 2013. The document outlines a variety of potential flood risk management and ecosystem restoration projects that could be implemented along the Upper Des Plaines River – an area that extends approximately from southern Racine County, Wis., to Riverside, Ill.

  • Dredging starts on Sandy-relief-funded contracts for Burns Small Boat, Michigan City harbors

    Hydraulic dredging of approximately 45,000 cubic yards at Michigan City Harbor in Michigan City, Ind., began Sept. 6, 2013. Hydraulic dredging of approximately 25,000 cubic yards will be dredged at Burns Small Boat Harbor in Portage, Ind., beginning in a few weeks. A contract was awarded in the amount of $551,500 July 15, 2013 for these operations.