Pig's Eye Lake Island Project Among ACEC Minnesota Photo Contest Winners

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Minnesota recently moved to a new office in St. Paul. To celebrate the move, and fill the walls with artwork, ACEC MN invited members to submit photos to be framed and displayed for the next year. Photos were submitted in five categories. 

1. Building / Vertical Infrastructure Projects
2. Transportation, Transit, Aviation or other Horizontal Infrastructure Projects
3. Water, Environmental, Energy or Other Projects
4. Minnesota Landscapes
5. Human Interest / Other

Widseth's Pig's Eye Lake Island Building Project received the most votes in category three!

Information About the Project

Six islands are being constructed in Pig’s Eye Lake to improve aquatic habitat for the abundant wildlife in the area. The
additional shoreline is expected to significantly improve the local ecosystem. Approximately 300,000 cubic yards of
dredged material from the Mississippi River are being used to build the islands, which, when complete, will total about
30 acres. In conjunction with the US Army Corps of Engineers and LS Marine, Widseth’s Juergen Brunkhorst, Certified
Hydrographer and Professional Land Surveyor, is overseeing the project’s hydrographic surveying and land surveying.

The Story Behind the Photo

An aerial image would be necessary to capture the entire project, however drones aren't allowed to fly in this area because of the project's proximity to the St. Paul Downtown Airport and the Mississippi River's designation as a National Park. So, Marketing Specialist Kylee Conner joined Pilot Andrew Werle from Widseth's subsidiary company 95West Aerial Mapping to capture the winning photo through an airplane window!