Status, Trends Report Released on Upper Mississippi River System

Friday, July 15, 2022

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and natural resources agencies in four other states, have released a report on the ecological status of the Upper Mississippi River.

This important report analyzes more than 25 years of data and will inform river management and investments in the coming years. The report includes information on water quality and aquatic vegetation, as well as fisheries data from six geographic study areas and select system-wide data.

The report includes information from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. The Status and Trends report is prepared by the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) program, which is a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations and individuals working together to support Upper Mississippi River System ecosystem rehabilitation, research and monitoring. Previous Status and Trends reports were released in 1998 and 2008.

"Upper Mississippi River Restoration program partners that produced this report are taking a proactive approach to changes in this globally significant river system," DNR Deputy Commissioner Barb Naramore said. "The report provides essential analyses of the effects of changing hydrology, invasive species and many other factors."

"The Status and Trends Report will inform and influence the work of many government agencies, nonprofits and other partners," DNR Ecological and Water Resources Division District Manager Megan Moore said. "We are grateful to be a part of this partnership and the important guidance it produces."

The report is available via the USGS Publications Warehouse at Ecological Status and Trends of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20221039.

Information about related DNR partnerships is available on the Mississippi River Management page of the DNR website (https://mndnr.gov/Waters/WaterMgmt_Section/River).