The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the U.S. Forest Service, Chippewa National Forest, will host five public meetings Aug. 21-24 in northern Minnesota to review a preliminary draft of the proposed Headwaters' reservoir operating plan.
The meetings will also be used to solicit comments regarding the plan's potential impacts and acceptability. Potential system-wide and site-specific impacts and benefits, along with the inherent trade-offs will be a focus of the meetings.
Reservoirs being looked at in this study include Cass, Winnibigoshish, Leech, Mud/Goose, Pokegama, Sandy, Whitefish Chain and Gull Lakes.
The meetings will be held in an open house format with a short presentation repeated every half hour, followed by opportunities to ask questions and gather comments from those attending.
The public meetings will be held at five locations along the Upper Mississippi River:
Cass Lake: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, Pike Bay Town Hall, 15514 State Highway 371 N.W.
Aitkin: 1-3 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Aitkin City Hall, 109 First Ave. N.W.
Grand Rapids: 6:30-8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 23, at the Grand Rapids City Hall, 420 Pokegema Ave.
Walker: 5-8 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 23, at the Walker AmericInn, 907 Highway 371 N.
Brainerd: 5-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 24, Administra-tion Building of the Gull Lake Recreation Area, 100867 E. Gull Lake Drive.
Public comments will be used to further develop the proposed plan, which is scheduled for public release this winter in a draft project report and an Environment Impact Statement.
For more information, contact Steven Clark at (651) 290-5278, or John O'Leary, Headwaters operations manager, at (218) 327-4027. Information can also be obtained by visiting the ROPE Web site at: www.mvp.usace.army.mil-ropePineandLakes.com
