PDF Press Release (../files/umrbasin.pdf) PDF Map (1.1MB) (../files/umrbasinmap.pdf) The Nature Conservancy in Illinois Press Releases Search All Press Releases Chris Anderson Email: canderson@tnc.org Phone:(312) 759-8017 ext. 30 Cell: (312) 218-0186

New Study of Upper Mississippi Region Identifies Priority Places for Conservation

Assessment identifies critical priority areas to ensure viability of species within basin

CHICAGO, IL—  The Upper Mississippi River Basin is a national and natural treasure, the crown of one of the world’s major river systems in size, natural area variety, and diversity of species.  The Nature Conservancy and NatureServe have jointly released the first-ever, comprehensive study of the freshwater ecosystems of the entire Upper Mississippi River Basin. Titled Conservation Priorities for Freshwater Biodiversity in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, the study identifies the highest priority areas for conservation in the seven-state region.

The two-year study identified the most important places within the Upper Mississippi’s vast network of rivers and streams that should be protected to ensure the ecological health of these waters, and the survival of the basin’s fish, mussels, crayfish and other aquatic species.  These results make the report a key resource that will drive conservation planning and action by conservation groups, and state and federal agencies throughout the basin.

Findings in this report identify critical conservation areas in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota and Wisconsin, that will ensure the viability of the basin’s freshwater species and the health of the basin. The network of streams within these priority areas represents more than 200 types of aquatic settings and identifies the best places for conserving more than 100 of the basin's aquatic species at risk.  The report also identifies 47 specific sites that are critical areas for both freshwater and land-based biodiversity. 

“This report helps to establish the full extent and importance of the linkage between the Mississippi River, its major tributaries and headwaters.  This system-wide perspective brings into context the importance of looking well beyond the borders and boundaries of the river itself, to the significance of the areas that feed, support, and depend on the natural ebb and flow of such a vast river system,” said Steve McCormick, president of The Nature Conservancy.

A complex mosaic of communities, the Upper Mississippi River Basin is a vast floodplain river system, flowing more than 1300 miles from its source at Lake Itasca in Minnesota, to its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois. The National Research Council named the Upper Mississippi River and the Illinois River, which are both part of the basin, as two of only three large-floodplain river ecosystems remaining in the United States where sufficient ecological integrity exists to allow for their recovery.

The Nature Conservancy, a known leader in conserving freshwater areas, has also been working with state, federal and other like-minded conservation organizations through an Upper Mississippi River Project to document and gather scientific information and input. This information will be used in planning for the conservation and restoration of the ecological structure, function and dynamics of the Upper Mississippi River system. Working with stakeholders, sharing scientific information on natural flow regimes and implementing best agricultural practices, the Conservancy is working to create and implement plans that aid the river system in regaining some of the vitality of its glorious past, ensuring economic health for the people, communities, wildlife, and businesses that rely on the river. 

“The Mississippi River Basin requires the attention of all its stakeholders. Working collaboratively and cooperatively throughout the basin, we will ensure the viability of this system for generations,” McCormick said.

The main stem of the Upper Mississippi River represents only 11 of the 237 freshwater ecosystems within the entire basin which have been identified in this report.  Therefore, it is critical to protect the tributaries and small creeks in the basin in order to protect the integrity of the big river.  The basin harbors 200 native fish species of which 12 are globally rare and two are federally endangered. The basin is also a global flyway for 60% of all North American bird species.

Significant threats to the basin include habitat loss and alteration, water quality decline, alteration of natural water flow regimes, and invasive species. The report analyzes and classifies the ecosystems, identifying the best places for conserving rare and imperiled aquatic species, while documenting gaps in our knowledge of the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

The report will serve as a global model for assessing native species within a defined habitat area, for the purpose of identifying priority areas to be protected in order to preserve significant water and land-based plants and animals, representing the diversity of life on Earth.

The study was recently released to the McKnight Foundation and to Region V, United States Environmental Protection Agency, (USEPA), who supported the funding for this assessment by The Nature Conservancy and NatureServe. 

“This report provides valuable information to EPA and others concerned about the health of the Upper Mississippi River basin,” said Jo-Lynn Traub, EPA water division director.  “Knowing the stresses on the river system as well as the healthy areas will help us to make better decisions about how to protect, enhance and expand high quality areas,” she said.

The report and its appendices may be viewed and downloaded at no cost from http://www.conserveonline.org (select browse library) or from www.natureserve.org.

###

The Nature Conservancy is a leading international, non-profit organization that preserves plants, animals and natural communities representing the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit us on the Web at nature.org.

NatureServe is a non-profit group dedicated to providing the scientific information and technology needed to guide effective conservation action.  NatureServe represents a network of 76 natural heritage programs and conservation data centers in the United States, Canada and Latin America that collect and analyze information on plants, animals and ecosystems.  Nature Serve is a leading source for detailed scientific information about rare and endangered species and threatened ecosystems.  Visit us on the Web at www.natureserve.org.