Man-Made Islands Create Habitat

From MN Public Radio...
paraphrased

...Luring wildlife back into the area is the goal of the island-building project. The islands are the place birds and other wildlife go for shelter, nesting, and food. There were thousands and thousands of canvasbacks that would flock up out there and eat that wild celery. In fact, at night you could hear 'em flush off of there - you could hear the roar, there was that many canvasbacks there.

...At the same time, the river bottom has become flat and shallow. To build the islands, the corps dredged 23-foot channels and created piles with the resulting spoils, hopefully solving both dilemmas. Often such large scale environmental manipulation attracts controversy. But many conservation groups praise the islands for boosting habitat for a relatively low cost. For the more than $2 million spent, officials can count another 33 acres of island land.

...When we first moved to town - we've lived in the area for 32 years - there was lots of ice fishing going on. But as the islands disappeared, so did the ice fishing. You'll see ducks out here. There'll be turtle nests here. I just think it's a beautiful thing for our area.