A long time ago on a river gone by, Grey Cloud Island and the surrounding area was drier than it is today. Baldwin Lake and the area off Lower Grey Cloud Island to the southeast were above water, as were separate islands at the mouth of what is now Grey Cloud Slough.
Later on, after the Lock and Dam System came, water levels rose and submerged what was dry land off Lower Grey Cloud Island, to the southwest and southeast.
Later still, in the 1950s, a mine came to the unsubmerged part of Lower Grey Cloud Island, located inland from the river and providing the region with sand and gravel. That same mine is expected to soon be exhausted for resources, leading to a proposal to move mining operations into what was once dry land, but now lies beneath the Mississippi River.
Not everyone is on board with the mine, however. Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR) Land Use & Planning Program Director Colleen O’Connor Toberman said the same concerns remain on the Nelson Backwater Mine as have been expressed previously by the group.
“As far as I'm aware, Minnesota has never allowed a mine in the Mississippi riverbed,” O’ Connor Toberman said. “If this proposed mine does indeed open eventually, it would be the only mine of its kind in the state.”
“Friends of the Mississippi River still has the same concerns about this proposed mine as we did earlier in the EIS process. This mine would damage many things that make this part of the Mississippi River special: wetland and shoreline habitat for rare and endangered species, scenic views from Spring Lake Park Reserve and local neighborhoods, and recreational access to and enjoyment of the backwaters. 
“A healthy river has clean water and shorelines that provide habitat. A healthy river also provides for human needs, such as clean drinking water and recreation. It can be tricky to balance all of the ways that we depend on our rivers, but we can start by saying no to harmful proposals like the Nelson Mine expansion that prioritize one corporation's profits over the wider public interest.”
Attempts to reach mine proposer Amrize for comment via email were unsuccessful. So is it the first such mine in Minnesota, and what are the precedents if any for such an undertaking?
We reached out to Minerals Potential Manager Heather Arends with the DNR.
“Aggregate mining is permitted at the local level,” she said. “Unfortunately, we don't maintain records of current or past mines - outside of the ones we map under the Aggregate Resources Mapping Program. As a result, I can't confirm details about in river mining in MN. I do believe this has occurred in SE Minnesota - but don't know exactly where and when.
“MNDOT maintains a database of all sources of materials used for state roads. They may be able to assist you with this question. The other option is to reach out to individual counties in SE Minnesota.”
With comment closed as of Oct. 28 on the Final EIS for the Nelson Backwaters Mine Project, the Cottage Grove Council determines the adequacy of the Final EIS for Nelson Backwaters Mine Project Nov. 5.