Do good levees make good neighbors when more rain is in the forecast?
By Eileen Shader, American Rivers A floodplain farmer near Hannibal, Missouri once gave me a tour of his farm and levee system. As we stood on his levee he explained how during a flood his family and...
View ArticleTop 5 Reasons Nature-Based Solutions Help Protect Wildlife and You
By Marisa Escudero, National Wildlife Federation Healthy rivers, coasts, and wetlands solve water resources problems with nature-based solutions. These approaches rely heavily on ecosystem services to...
View ArticleGrading Rivers: Pros and Cons
By Ken Lubinski, US Geological Survey, Retired (Part 1 of 3) Many concerned people, not just conservationists but manufacturers, farmers, politicians and the media, often ask “How healthy is the Upper...
View ArticleCannonballs Bring Reflections on the Mississippi
By Denny Caneff, River Alliance of Wisconsin How can one river be so much fun and yet be so troubled? I pondered that while doing cannonballs off the back end of a houseboat that the staff of the group...
View ArticleCan Chevrons Create Habitat in the Middle Mississippi River?
River training structures have been the primary tool for maintaining adequate depth for navigation on the Middle Mississippi River since the early 1800s (the Middle Mississippi stretch of the River...
View ArticleGrading Rivers: Why?
By Ken Lubinski, US Geological Society, Retired (This is part two of a three part series. Read part 1.) In Part 1 of this series I explained how important grading rivers can be, but also how difficult...
View ArticleGrading Rivers: Who Needs to Do What?
By Ken Lubinski, US Geological Survey, Retired (This is part 3 of a three part series. Read part 1 and part 2) Having covered the value of and reasons for grading rivers in parts 1 and 2, this final...
View ArticleFiscal Year 2016 Appropriations
By Josh Sewell, Taxpayers for Common Sense As one of its last actions before heading out of town for the holidays, Congress passed a $1.15 trillion omnibus spending bill funding the government for...
View ArticleRiver Management and Flooding Woes
by Christine Favilla, Sierra Club Recent floods highlight the need for big changes in the management of the Mississippi River, changes leading to a more sustainable system with long-term objectives....
View ArticleAgricultural Vulnerability to Changing Climatic Patterns
By Barry Drazkowski, Minnesota Division President, Izaak Walton League of America Climate change is presenting challenges to land managers and agriculture producers throughout the Upper Mississippi...
View ArticleRestoring the Upper Mississippi River: Going beyond wilderness and wildlife
By Elliot Brinkman, Habitat Conservation Specialist, Prairie Rivers Network When thinking about the Upper Mississippi River’s past, we are often met with visions of natural bounty: of floodplain...
View ArticleProtecting People and Wildlife
By Melissa Samet, Senior Water Resources Counsel, National Wildlife Federation While operations and maintenance (or O&M) might not sound like something to be concerned about, it absolutely is....
View ArticleReflections on the Mississippi: Looking back 13, 41, 68 and 10,000 years ago
By Denny Caneff Executive Director River Alliance of Wisconsin I will start with 13 years ago. By the time I walk out of my downtown Madison office at the River Alliance of Wisconsin, it will have...
View ArticleCan Minnesota Agriculture Water Quality Certification be a Game Changer?
By Jill Crafton, Izaak Walton League of America Despite Minnesota’s investment in programs, research, assessments, and citizens hungry to improve water quality, everyday life style choices, urban...
View ArticleComprehensive Flood Risk Management for the Upper Mississippi?
In August, the Mississippi River Commission will be conducting their low water inspection on the Upper Mississippi River and on August 11 will be holding an invitation only roundtable to discuss flood...
View ArticleModels in St. Louis
No, not the sexy kind you find in magazines. Today’s blog is about the models that are being used by the Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District to make decisions about river management. Decisions...
View ArticleLevels of Service in Minneapolis
This week the St. Paul District of the Army Corps of Engineers announced they would “reduce the level of service” at Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Lock 1. And what does that mean? Every open lock in...
View ArticleCorps Budget Released
Earlier this month, President Obama released his fiscal year 2016 budget request and the Corps of Engineers released their fiscal year 2015 work plan. If you don’t know how the federal appropriations...
View ArticleSome Faces of the New Madrid Floodway
American Rivers and several of the Nicollet Island Coalition partners have asked the Environmental Protection Agency to veto the New Madrid Floodway levee project because it would destroy 75,000 acres...
View ArticleUpper St Anthony Falls Lock to Reopen for 2.5 Months
At the end of February, the St Paul District of the Army Corps of Engineers released their final environmental assessment for the closure of Upper St Anthony Falls Lock. Their decision: reopen the lock...
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