Dear Answer Man, one of the ideas that's been mentioned for dealing with all the dredged sand that the Army Corps of Engineers needs to get rid of is to build some islands in Lake Pepin. Is that even possible?

Some people say there's no such thing as a bad idea. I disagree. There are lots of bad ideas, and this is one of them.

Lake Pepin is the only natural lake (also known as a wide spot) along the whole 2,320-mile length of the Mississippi River. It's one of the greatest attractions in Minnesota (and Wisconsin, but that's another story), a place of sublime beauty that somehow has managed not to be overrun by lakeshore development or tainted by pollution. It's a mecca for boaters, anglers, eagle watchers, photographers, road trippers and anyone who enjoys a beautiful view.

First-time visitors to the area wonder how it is that they've never heard of it; longtime area residents take it for granted but are glad it's there.

So, first of all, it's a cockamamie idea to even talk about building islands in the lake. Yes, there are manmade islands in the river downstream around Wabasha; while not ideal, that part of the river has been greatly altered by the Corps' lock and dam system over the years. Lake Pepin remains pristine by comparison.

Then there's the question of where. The lake averages a depth of 20 feet, but it's more like 50 and 60 feet deep through much of it. It's hard to imagine where these sand mountains would be built without disrupting fish and wildlife, water quality, lakeshore residents and lake users.

I could go on and on, and I can think of many people around the lake who'd be glad to weigh in on this issue, but instead I directed one of my research associates to ask the Army Corps of Engineers if the idea of building islands in Lake Pepin is being considered in any way.

George Stringham, a public affairs specialist with the Corps in St. Paul, says the draft plan that was released in May "does not recommend island construction in Lake Pepin. We are not recommending this approach as a part of our strategy to address long-term dredged material management."

The Corps issued a draft plan in May for dealing with about 10 million cubic yards of sand that will be dredged from the river over the next 40 years. The plan calls for piling much of it on now privately owned land near Wabasha, Kellogg and Nelson, Wis., and developing transfer stations that will greatly increase truck traffic and commotion in other areas.

Stringham said there are "several reasons" islands in Lake Pepin are not being considered. "They include adverse environmental impacts, and substantial policy and compliance challenges, among other issues," he said.

Somewhat ironically, the Corps is looking at the possibility of "building islands in the upper part of Lake Pepin in cooperation with the Wisconsin DNR," he said. According to a news release that went out Tuesday, the Corps proposes to "investigate opportunities to utilize dredged material from Pool 4 (the area between the Red Wing and Alma, Wis., dams) to improve the ecosystem in the same pool. Potential opportunities for the Corps to improve the pool include using dredged material to build islands, dredging backwater areas, creating and/or improving wetlands, stabilizing the shoreline stabilization and planting floodplain forest."

There are environmental benefits, in other words, to dredging and reconstructing areas that have been affected over the years by the Corps' lock and dam system. A public meeting on the plan to merely study that possibility will be at 5 p.m. July 11 at the Red Wing library.

"In that part of the lake, there would be environmental benefits of such activity," Stringham told my I-Team member by email, and that area is high up on the lake. "However, no environmental agencies have expressed interest in building large islands in the lower part of Lake Pepin. It does not seem likely that there would be environmental benefits to building a large island in lower Lake Pepin."

Could dredge spoils from the Wabasha area be brought upriver to that island-building project, if it goes ahead? Perhaps, though it would be a drop in the bucket in terms of the 40-year plan.

The Answer Man gets better and better every day. Send questions to P.O. Box 6118, Rochester, MN 55904 or answerman@postbulletin.com.

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