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The Upper Mississippi River System
Environmental Management Program
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Meeting the Challenge:
A Multi-Use Resource In a nation endowed with magnificent water resources, the Upper Mississippi River System is unparalleled. A 1,300-mile waterway linking five states to the Gulf Coast export markets, the river system supports a tremendous range of uses. Commercial navigation, recreation, and fish and wildlife all flourish on the Upper Mississippi Rivers. In addition, the region's more than 20 million residents rely on river water for public and industrial supplies, power plant cooling, and waste assimilation. There is a long and colorful history of navigation on the Upper Mississippi River System, which consists of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers and several important tributaries. In the 1820s, Congress authorized construction of a canal connecting Lake Michigan and the Illinois River and also authorized removal of snags and other obstructions in several reaches of the Mississippi projects creating the current nine-foot navigation channel were authorized in the 1930s and most were completed by 1940. Twenty-nine locks and dams on the Mississippi and eight on the Illinois replaced rapids and falls with a stairway of water for commercial and recreational traffic. More barge traffic than ever before now transport a wide variety of essential goods on the Upper Mississippi River System. In recent years, approximately 70 to 85 million tons of cargo have been shipped annually on the river between Minneapolis, Minn., and the mouth of the Missouri River. Agricultural commodities, petroleum products, and coal are the leading commodities, with farm products accounting for approximately half of the total tonnage shipped. At the same time, recreational opportunities are abundant along the river system and demand for river-based amenities is growing. Recreational activity on the Upper Mississippi River System has been estimated to involve direct and indirect expenditures of more than $1.2 billion annually. The river ecosystem is also home to a diverse array of fish and wildlife, which find habitat in channels, backwaters, sloughs, wetlands, and adjacent uplands. More than 20 percent of North America's ducks feed and rest on the river during migration. A total of 154 species of fish and 50 species of freshwater mussels have been recorded in the river. Five National Wildlife Refuges - the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Mark Twain, Trempealeau, Minnesota Valley, and Illinois River National Wildlife - encompass approximately 310,000 acres of wooded islands, water and wetlands.
Protecting the Resource: The Environmental Management Program No single entity controls the Upper Mississippi River, just as no single use of the river precludes all others. Successful management of this multi-use resource requires a comprehensive, cooperative approach. The Environmental Management Program, established by Congress in 1986, is based on just this type of management approach. It reflects the public's support for Upper Mississippi River System as a multi-use resource. For several years, Congress had been considering how best to respond to traffic delays and projections for continued growth in commercial traffic on the navigation system. At this same time, there was an increasing concern that the habitat and recreational values of the river were being degraded. Congress responded in 1986, authorizing construction of a second lock at Locks and Dam 26 at Alton, Ill. to remove a traffic bottleneck on this busy stretch of river. However, Congress explicitly recognized the need to balance increased commercial navigation with other economic, environmental and recreational objectives. Within the same legislation that authorized changes to support the needs of commercial navigation, Congress also established the Upper Mississippi River System Environmental Management Program (EMP). The EMP is a long-term program designed to protect and balance the resources of the Upper Mississippi River and guide future river management. The program consists of five elements:
Habitat Projects Humans are not unique in their dependence on the Upper Mississippi River System. Unfortunately, human activities are altering the river ecosystem in ways that are largely detrimental to fish and wildlife. Sedimentation is widely considered to be the most severe environmental problem on the river. Agriculture, residential and commercial development, and highway construction have contributed to excessive erosion, while channelization and the construction of locks and dams have created a river system that captures this eroded sediment. Sediment degrades habitat by destroying spawning areas, decreasing light penetration to aquatic plants, and filling in shallow areas. Fine sediment accumulating in backwaters, low-flow areas, and isolated side channels has caused significant habitat loss. Commercial navigation and recreational boating can exacerbate sedimentation problems. By re-suspending settled sediments, boats and barges can increase sediment loads in backwaters. The habitat projects are alleviating these types of adverse changes by restoring and protecting high value fish and wildlife habitat. A variety of techniques are used in various combinations to address the unique circumstances of each particular area. Some of the techniques being employed include:
Each habitat project is closely monitored to refine techniques and to ensure optimal results. Analysis of completed projects is used in designing similar projects in other areas of the river system. Resource managers and researchers in other regions of the country are also learning from EMP projects. The construction of habitat rehabilitation and enhancement projects is one of the most vital components of the EMP. The projects reflect a strong commitment to maintaining the river as a multi-use resource and will have an important effect on the fish and wildlife resources of the river.
Long-Term Resource Monitoring Complex management decisions require scientifically valid information. In the past, lack of information on the Upper Mississippi River has made it difficult for federal and state agencies to manage the river for competing uses. While data is available from many sources, it is often incomplete, disparate, and not readily accessible to resource managers. The Long Term Resource Monitoring component of the EMP is addressing this problem through data collection, integration and analysis. Six field stations located on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers are collecting standardized data on water quality, sediments, fisheries, vegetation, and other river resources. Additional monitoring efforts assess individual events such as chemical spills, floods or clam die-offs. Information is limited value unless it is accessible. The Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center in La Crosse, Wis., plays an essential role, integrating and analyzing the data collected by the six field stations along with data from other sources. The Science Center, administered by the U.S. Geological Survey, is developing the most comprehensive and accessible collection of data on the Upper Mississippi River System. The data is being used by managers and researchers to describe and predict changes in the ecosystem. Resource monitoring and analysis are key elements of the EMP. The models and reports produced will provide the kind of reliable information needed to make sound management decisions for the future of the Upper Mississippi River System.
Recreation Projects Recreation on the Upper Mississippi River System is as varied as the river itself. Millions of people visit the river every year to participate in activities that depend on water - boating, fishing, boating, or simply enjoying the river's beauty. The recreation project authority of the EMP was intended to promote the diversity and availability of river-based recreation. However, low federal priority for recreational projects has precluded their implementation as part of the EMP. The Upper Mississippi River System is a popular site for recreation, and that popularity is expected to increase. It is hoped that cooperative local, state, and federal efforts in the future can help meet the growing demand for river-based recreation while ensuring that recreation is balanced with other important uses.
Economic Impacts of Recreation Study It is clear that recreation is important to the economic well being of many communities along the river system. But the magnitude and distribution of the economic benefits of river-based recreation in the region had not been quantified prior to enactment of the Environmental Management Program. Congress authorized a study of the economic impacts of recreation as part of the EMP to provide just this sort of information. While other components of the EMP are on going, the recreation economics study was completed in 1993. By surveying people use of developed areas, marinas, and permitted docks on the Upper Mississippi River System, the study measured the amount and kinds of recreation activity connected with the river system, and the amount of spending associated with that activity. Study results indicate that there were more than 12 million daily visits by recreationists during the study year. These visits supported over $1.2 billion in direct and indirect expenditures and more than 18,000 jobs nationwide. In the 76 countries bordering the Upper Mississippi River System, this recreational activity supported $400 million industrial output and 7,200 jobs. Boating, fishing and sightseeing were the most popular activities, with half of all visitors boating. The study results will not be only used in evaluating multiple use management options, but will also be important in coordinating the development of new recreation facilities in response to changing or growing recreation interests. Local areas are able to use the data and a regional economic model to develop recreation as a component of their economies.
Traffic Monitoring Built more than 50 years ago, many of the locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi River System are in need of modification or replacement. At the same time, the infrastructure is aging and river traffic is expanding. Substantial capital will be required to undertake this work while balancing navigation with environmental and recreational needs. Congress recognizes that sound decisions about the future of navigation on the system will require reliable information. Thus, funds were authorized as part of the Environmental Management Program for the study of traffic movement, system capacity,and future growth. During the first few years of EMP, existing traffic data were integrated and analyzed. Further comprehensive analysis of the navigation needs of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers is being undertaken separately by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as apart of a broader navigation study initiated in 1988. The navigation studies are designed to provide the
information that is necessary to assure balanced management
of the river system. Traffic expansion must be anticipated
and coordinated with other environmental and recreational
objectives to protect the multi-use character of the
river. A Partnership Approach Nowhere else in the country does a waterway serve both as a system of major national wildlife refuges and a commercial navigation system. Add to this its role as a significant recreational resource, and it is clear that the Upper Mississippi River System is truly unique. Everyone has a stake in the management of the river, and a special partnership has been forged among the many participants in the EMP. Congress established the Environmental Management Program to ensure that the divergent interests and uses of the river are balanced and that adequate information is available to make sound management decisions in the future. Congress placed management responsibility for the program
with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps actively
coordinates with the U.S. Department of the Interior;
the Upper Mississippi River Basin Association; and the
five states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri,
and Wisconsin. The public also plays a central role
in the EMP. Three local Corps Districts - St. Paul, Rock Island, and St. Louis - manage the habitat projects within their boundaries and work directly with states on individual projects. The U.S. Geological Survey within the Department of the Interior works with the Corps of Engineers and other agencies to implement the Long-Term Resource Monitoring Program of the EMP. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service participates fully in many habitat projects developed on National Wildlife Refuge lands. The five states and the Fish and Wildlife Service actively screen, recommend and participate in developing habitat projects. Many projects involve state and local cost sharing with the federal government, further emphasizing the partnership approach of the EMP. State biologists also staff six Long-Term Resource Monitoring Program field stations.
For Further Information Iowa Department of Natural Resources Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Missouri Department of Conservation Missouri Department of Natural Resources Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Geological Survey Upper Mississippi River Basin Association
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Rock Island District is part of the Mississippi Valley Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Army
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