Upper Mississippi River Watershed Focus Area - Archive

Archive: Upper Mississippi River Watershed Focus Area

Last updated: May 21, 2001

Background

The Upper Mississippi River Basin is a nationally significant resource, principally contained within the five Midwestern states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The basin encompasses the headwaters of the Mississippi River and its vast amount of natural resources support a wide variety of industrial and commercial activities; provides habitat for many fish and wildlife species; offers unlimited recreational opportunities; and has the proper soils and climate to support agricultural production in such quantities to be of global significance. Forests within the basin provide a variety of products which add to its importance; and the river itself supports an ecosystem and a transportation system of national significance.

Activities

The U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Information System for linking resource information and progress among agencies and partners is being implemented.
Natural Resources Conservation Service is coordinating a basin wide natural resource Stewardship Initiative in support of bringing additional fiscal resources into the basin for natural resource management.
The federal partnership is working on the Whitewater watershed in Minnesota to develop a process for assessing additional agency needs and delivering additional assistance to enhance natural resource planning and management.
The Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership is being considered for implementation in the basin. This would bring private corporations into the process of restoring wetlands. Corporations would be a source of funding to share with other private and public funds to enhance wetland restoration.

On-The-Ground Projects

A U.S. Geological Survey website is now available for storing and sharing information on partners' natural resource projects.
The Upper Mississippi River Basin Stewardship Initiative is being supported by Natural Resource Conservation Service and McKnight Foundation funding. A partnership with St. Mary's University in Minnesota has been successful in providing outreach throughout the basin. The Initiative has created legislative impacts in Congress and they are expected to continue. Expected results are increased funding for natural resource conservation.
The Whitewater watershed in Minnesota is being used to assess additional resource planning and management needs. Further partner actions, in conjunction with stakeholders, are being taken to identify additional sources of public and private investment for resource management.
The Corporate Wetland Restoration Partnership is being formed to recruit corporate participation into partnerships which enhance wetland restoration efforts.

Partners

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Highways Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Geological Service.

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