Corps of Engineers seeks public comment on Blackhawk Park riverbank stabilization

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is seeking public comments on a draft Environmental Assessment, or EA, for its proposed Blackhawk Park bank stabilization and erosion protection project. The proposed project is upstream of Lock 9 on the Upper Mississippi River on the Wisconsin side, adjacent to Vernon County, WI...

...The St. Paul District operates 49 recreation areas throughout the region. These recreation areas provide 650 individual campsites, 27 boat launching ramps, 10 beaches and numerous individual picnic sites. There are recreation facilities at most of the district’s locks and dams, too. These recreation areas have become an important component of the region’s tourism. An estimated 2.3 million visitors use these sites annually, generating around $79 million for the local and regional economy, according to reported data.

Located adjacent to the main channel of the Mississippi River, three miles south of De Soto, WI, Blackhawk Park is the largest public use facility in Pool 9 of the Mississippi River and many of the campsites at the park offer picturesque views of the river. Recreational activities available at the park include boating, camping, fishing and picnicking.