LIGHTHOUSE ISLAND – Mississippi River | Wacouta Bay
Sediment loads and the growing island
Lighthouse Island has grown about a mile in the last 50 years. The area is notorious for boat groundings. Sediment loads—the size of a city block filled to the height of the Foshay Tower in downtown Minneapolis—accumulate in Lake Pepin every year. With sedimentation rates 10x above normal, the lake is in a fight for survival. It has two water quality impairments and is expected to prematurely disappear in just a few generations. See the Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance website for more information.
In many ways, Lake Pepin is the poster child for the larger problems facing the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. ~LPLA
Mud Picnic
Last weekend, LPLA hosted its first Mud Picnic to help visualize this problem. The event was a powerful experience for attendees and took place at the head of Lake Pepin in the shallow waters just downstream of Lighthouse Island. ~LPLA
Lake Pepin is a natural lake on the Upper Mississippi River that is disappearing due to excess sediment from upstream sources. Lake Pepin Legacy Alliance (LPLA) is a grassroots organization working to save the lake for future generations. ~LPLA
If you care about Lake Pepin, please attend the LPLA open-house about upstream pollution affecting Lake Pepin THIS Thursday, August 29th from 4-7 PM at the Lake City Sportsman’s Club. Free food, Cash bar.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will be giving a presentation about recent studies affecting Lake Pepin at 5:30 PM.
Join the over 600 LPLA members and help move the effort to restore water quality, fish and wildlife habitat and recreational access in upper Lake Pepin. Become a member | Donate