NAVIGATION AND ECOSYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM (NESP)    

A Programmatic Agreement under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for the NESP and Upper Mississippi River Restoration programs was completed on June 25, 2024. Development of the agreement was done through consultation with 5 state historic preservation offices, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and 55 Tribal Nations.

In 2011, the Upper Mississippi River System – Ecosystem Restoration Objectives 2009 Report was released. The report is the technical basis for the formulation of specific restoration project and the reach planning process, which identifies high priority areas for restoration of natural river processes.

The 2009 Report to Congress reported on foundation and readiness of the ecosystem restoration side of the dual-purpose program to implement improvements to the Upper Mississippi river and Illinois Waterway System in compliance with the authorization.

The December 2004 Chief's Report to Congress recommended a 50-year framework plan of navigation and ecosystem improvements and an immediate authorization of an initial increment of navigation improvements for seven new 1,200-foot locks, small scale navigation measures, and 225 ecosystem restoration projects.

The Record of Decision for the Final Integrated Feasibility Report and Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Upper Mississippi River – Illinois Waterway (UMR-IWW) System Navigation Feasibility Study was signed by the Corps of Engineers’ Director of Civil Works on June 4, 2008. The Record of Decision completes the procedural requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and approves the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway System for construction.

In March 2008, the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers reevaluated the navigation component of the UMR-IWW System Navigation Feasibility Study’s Recommended Plan, which provided greater insight and support for the recommended plan with improved models and additional data collection.

On September 24, 2004 the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division, completed their final plan for future ecosystem restoration and navigation efficiency improvements to the Upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

The toolkit includes key design elements to assist teams in identifying methods and measures to address ecosystem restoration needs during planning and provides consistency of design details and costs across the regional program.

The Planning notebook provides guidance for ecosystem restoration planning under NESP. It includes steps for developing reach and system objectives, sequencing projects, monitoring, and adaptive management.

The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA CW) provided guidance for implementing NESP navigation improvements and ecosystem restoration projects, funding, adaptive management, and comparable progress.  

The authorizing language for NESP was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, Public Law 110-114.