Abstract
The Upper Mississippi River flows approximately 2000 km from Lake Itasca, Minnesota to Cairo, Illinois where it is confluences with the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi River. North of the confluence, numerous snags, sand bars, rapids, and other obstructions made the Upper Mississippi River travel difficult. This paper highlights how the geological and landscape resources of the Upper Mississippi River and tributary watershed were responsible for the successful economic development of this historically rich region of North America. Environmental challenges include an attempt to keep invasive species such as the Asian carp out of the rivers and lakes north of the Twin Cities. In an attempt to protect the Mississippi River resource, Environmental and Conservation groups have opposed continued navigation through Minneapolis and St. Paul and the planned Upper Mississippi River navigation infrastructure restoration by the United States Corps of Engineers including the upper and lower St. Anthony locks and dams. These Environmental, Conservation and Save the River groups are attempting to mitigate the historic highest and best use of the Mississippi River and adjacent watershed, navigation, and economic development, by having the urban river restored to the natural state.
Highlights
The Upper Mississippi River originates in Lake Itasca and flows 2000 km into the Lower Mississippi River at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers [1]
The environmental challenges include the settlement of millions of people in the Upper Mississippi Basin, year around navigation, re-building of 3 locks and dams on the Mississippi River in the Twin city area, disposal of treated and untreated industrial and urban wastewater, water pollution, flooding, invasive species and flooding
The primary objectives of the paper are: 1) to document how geological and landscape resources of the Upper Mississippi River have contributed to the successful water resource and economic development of a historically rich region in North America and 2) to identify the environmental and natural resource risks to the Upper Mississippi River basin and 3) evaluate the proposed Environmental and Conservation groups attempts change the historic highest and best use, navigation and economic development, of the Upper Mississippi River and watershed to having the urban river restored to the natural state
Summary
The Upper Mississippi River originates in Lake Itasca and flows 2000 km into the Lower Mississippi River at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers [1]. The first project established a 1.22 m deep channel which included removing the worst snags and sand bars and dynamited several rapids on the Upper Mississippi River. In 1878, Congress authorized the USACE to establish a 1.36 m deep channel This was accomplished primarily by constructing canals with navigation locks to bypass the De Moines Rapids near Keokuk, Iowa and the Rock Island Rapids between Rock Island and Moline, Illinois. The Mississippi River became completely navigable from New Orleans to St. Paul, Minnesota with the opening of the Moline Lock that bypassed the Rock Island rapids in 1907. The environmental challenges include the settlement of millions of people in the Upper Mississippi Basin, year around navigation, re-building of 3 locks and dams on the Mississippi River in the Twin city area, disposal of treated and untreated industrial and urban wastewater, water pollution, flooding, invasive species and flooding. The primary objectives of the paper are: 1) to document how geological and landscape resources of the Upper Mississippi River have contributed to the successful water resource and economic development of a historically rich region in North America and 2) to identify the environmental and natural resource risks to the Upper Mississippi River basin and 3) evaluate the proposed Environmental and Conservation groups attempts change the historic highest and best use, navigation and economic development, of the Upper Mississippi River and watershed to having the urban river restored to the natural state
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