Magruder Construction Plays Key Role In
Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program

The Piasa and Eagle’s Nest Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, part of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program, is located about eight miles upriver from Alton, Ill. Magruder Construction was awarded a dredging contract in February, 2023, to excavate 1.5 million cubic yards of material along a 2-mile-long deep braided channel. The project aims to deepen side channels and backwater habitats, create three new islands, and benefit fish and wildlife. It will also improve boating access, balancing conservation with recreation. This project is a joint effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Magruder Construction Recognized By the US Army Corps of Engineers

Magruder Construction was appointed as the prime contractor for the Ted Shanks Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project. This initiative was part of the Corps of Engineers’ Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program and encompasses approximately 2,900 acres that suffered degradation due to the 1993 flood and long-term sedimentation.

Located near the confluence of the Mississippi and Salt Rivers in Pike County, Missouri, and is managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation. It includes setback levees to reconnect areas with the floodplain, water control structures and drainage channels to manage water levels and improve drainage, pumping facilities for rapid water movement, and new plantings of native bottomland hardwoods.

Magruder Construction Successfully Completes Dredging Project at Cora Island

Magruder Construction, working as subcontractor to Phillips Hardy Inc., completed hydraulic dredging at Cora Island on the Missouri River. The Cora Island project is a component of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) overall Missouri River Recovery Program. Cora Island is located at West Alton in St. Charles County, Missouri and is part of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge north of St. Louis in the Missouri River.

The work at the 1,358-acre island refuge is aimed at improving the habitat for several species of fish, including the pallid sturgeon, by constructing two side channel chutes to create shallow water habitat (SWH), while reconnecting the Missouri River with its floodplain. The project was completed in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In total, Magruder dredged over 16,000 feet of side channels, which included pumping over 1 million cubic yards of material on the project. All work was completed with the Houston T, a 2015 18 x 18 cutter suction dredge manufactured by Custom Dredge Works.

Magruder Construction Works to Reopen the Grafton Ferry

Magruder Construction has been assigned the job of reviving a Mississippi River ferry service linking southwestern Illinois’ Jersey County to Missouri’s St. Charles County. The ferry stopped operations in 2010 because of siltation issues in the river. The city of Grafton has received grant money for the project. That grant will also help dredge the Grafton Harbor marina to its original depth of 10 feet.