Mississippi River Commission holds public meeting in Dubuque aboard MV Mississippi

Published Aug. 8, 2013

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Aug. 6)  – The Corps of Engineers is hosting a public meeting aboard the Motor Vessel (MV) Mississippi on Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. at the River’s Edge Plaza in Dubuque, Iowa.

The public meeting is held as part of the Mississippi River Commission’s Low Water Inspection trip that runs Aug. 12-16. The MRC conducts the annual trip to inspect Corps of Engineers projects along the Upper Mississippi River.

Each spring and late summer, the Commission conducts a series of public meetings aboard the MV Mississippi to maintain a dialogue and to exchange viewpoints and ideas with stakeholders and the public.  Traditionally, during the Low Water Inspection trip, the Commission travels the length of the Mississippi River stretching from St. Paul, Minn., to New Orleans.

The Presidentially-appointed Mississippi River Commission, established by Congress in 1879, is comprised of three Army officers, an Admiral and three civilians. The Commission’s duties include making recommendations on policy and work programs, studying and reporting on whether modifications or additions are needed for flood control and navigation projects, providing recommendations on any matters authorized by law, and making semi-annual inspection trips.

The MV Mississippi spends more than 90 percent of its time as a working towboat, moving barges, equipment and supplies on the lower Mississippi River.  The MV Mississippi, built in 1993 by Halter Marine, is the fifth Army Corps of Engineers towboat to bear the name.  It is the largest diesel towboat in the United States at 241-feet long, 58-feet wide and five stories high.  Three 2,100-hp diesel engines power the vessel.

For more information, contact the Rock Island District Corporate Communications office at (309) 794-5729.

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Release no. FY13-08-35