In 1986, the Upper Mississippi River System was declared by Congress as “a nationally significant ecosystem and a nationally significant commercial navigation system.” In November 2007, Congress passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA 2007) Title VIII authorization for modernizing the navigation system and restoring the environment, which is the first of its kind — a dual-purpose, integrated program to enhance and improve the Upper Mississippi River System. This authority, known as the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), seeks to provide a safe, reliable, cost effective and environment-sustainable waterborne navigation system by implementing switchboats at five locks and constructing mooring cells and seven new 1,200-foot locks. NESP will restore the aquatic and terrestrial habitat to a more natural condition on more than 100,000 acres throughout the system through a wide variety of ecosystem projects.

The collaborative development, design and implementation of NESP has created unprecedented support from diverse groups of citizens and stakeholders concerned with the long-term sustainability of this river system.

In a coordinated effort among U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts, St. Paul, Rock Island and St Louis, will support the following:

Continue efforts to ensure a smarter, safer and more efficient transportation system, which will be able to meet the growing demand for waterborne transportation now and into the future.
Advance small-scale navigation infrastructure and environmental restoration projects to provide a more reliable waterborne transportation system, which will enhance the nation’s global export competitiveness, boost the nation’s economy and provide essential habitat for a diverse group of fish and wildlife.
Accelerate the construction of critical waterborne transportation infrastructure to ensure the infrastructure adequately meets the nation’s needs and decreases risks to communities while positively contributing to the nation’s economic competitiveness.
Complete the design efforts for small-scale ecosystem projects to ensure new-start construction readiness.
Complete the construction efforts for small-scale ecosystem projects.
Complete the design efforts for small-scale navigation projects to ensure new-start construction readiness.
Complete the construction efforts for small-scale navigation projects.
Advance the design and construction of a large-scale navigation project.

For related information, visit https://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/NESP.

St. Paul Distirct