The City of Wabasha has released a Final Scoping Decision Document (FSDD) for the development of a barge facility along the Mississippi River. The facility is proposed on an approximately 54-acre site in Section 30, Township 111N, Range 10W, in the City of Wabasha, Wabasha County, Minnesota. The purpose of the barge facility is to receive and store sand, rock, and gravel materials that are annually dredged from the Mississippi River by the US Army Corps of Engineers to maintain a 9-foot navigable channel along this stretch of the Mississippi River. A high percentage of this material is suitable sand and aggregate. The Wabasha barge terminal site proposes to repurpose the dredge material with the marketable aggregate/sand product being sold and exported offsite. Plans for the nonmarketable dredge material include using the material as fill for area gravel pits thereby reducing mine reclamation costs.

As part of the planning and design phase of project development, a Scoping EAW and Draft Scoping Decision Document (DSDD) were prepared and made available for public and agency review beginning June 21, 2022. The Scoping EAW documented the purpose and need of the project along with the anticipated social, economic, and environmental effects. The DSDD further delineated the issues and level of analyses to be contained in the EIS.

Upon the conclusion of the public and agency review period, the DSDD was finalized and reissued by the City of Wabasha as the Final Scoping Decision Document (FSDD). The FSDD identifies environmental effects and project alternatives that will be assessed in the EIS and presents a tentative schedule of the environmental review process. This FSDD is jointly issued with the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Preparation Notice, a decision designating that the City will proceed with preparation of the draft EIS.

Electronic copy: Final Scoping Decision Document (FSDD)-Wabasha Barge Project/August 2022