Comments Needed on Mississippi River Structures
“Training structures”
have been used for more than 100 years to
direct the Mississippi River, narrowing water
flows to scour the bottom and deepen the river
for navigation. You can find these structures
throughout the navigable portions of the upper
Mississippi River, but most are located below
the Melvin Price Locks and Dam (near Alton,
Illinois).
In addition to damaging fish and wildlife
habitat, there is significant evidence that
these structures increase flood heights and
contribute to flood damage downstream. Despite
this evidence, the Army Corps of Engineers has
continued building river training structures
– with limited outside involvement or
opportunities for public comment – by relying
on certifications and approvals that date back
to the 1970s. However, the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) recently found this
practice to be a violation of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). GAO is now
requiring the Corps to prepare a new
environmental assessment for river training
structures in the middle Mississippi River –
the stretch between where the Missouri and Ohio
Rivers drain into the Mississippi
Opportunity for public comment is part of the environmental assessment process. The Corps is asking that public comments be submitted by mid-March, and the League encourages all members and supporters to weigh in on this issue to help improve the health of the Mississippi River and its value to fish and wildlife and the American people.
Sample Comments
As part
of the environmental assessment, the Corps is
asking the public to respond to two
questions:
- What do you think an assessment of new river training structures should include?
- What alternatives to the way the Corps does business today do you think should be considered?
Following is a list of comments that you can
personalize as part of your response to the
Corps of Engineers.
1. The St.
Louis District should provide the public with a
Web site that contains information on river
training structures, the environmental
assessment requirements and process, the
Government Accountability Office report, and
additional information and resources that may
help the public understand issues relating to
river training structures.
2. Environmental and economic impacts that must be included in the assessment:
a. Impacts to fish, waterfowl, aquatic vegetation, and invertebrates, with particular attention to threatened and endangered species and species in greatest need of conservation.
b. Impacts to sedimentation and sediment movement both around the structures and in the main channel.
c. Impacts to river stage (height) and discharge, with attention to river stage during high flow and flood events that have caused economic damage to surrounding areas.
d. Impacts of river stage and discharge to local economies in the region as they relate to navigation and business.
e. Impacts of river stage to flood damage in the region that may be caused by river training structures.
f. Impacts of each individual type of river training structure on wildlife to identify which are more/less harmful to native species.
3. Alternative models that must be considered include:
a. Removing all river training structures.
b. Removing some river training structures and maintaining others.
c. Maintaining some structures while allowing others to fall into disrepair.
You can e-mail your comments to RiverTrainingStructures@usace.army.mil.