ST. LOUIS - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District Commander has fully approved the revised “Rivers Project Master Plan” with accompanying “Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)” and “Environmental Assessment (EA)”.
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The River Project Master Plan is a conceptual document that guides public use and natural resource management of over 48,000 acres of federal lands for environmental stewardship and recreational purposes. Master Plans for the Rivers Project were developed or updated in 1948, 1961, 1977, 2001, and 2015. Since its last revision, there have been many changes in public recreational perceptions and demands, in natural and man-made resources along the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, and in federal roles in the Project areas. These changes necessitated the preparation of an updated Master Plan to serve as a meaningful guide for future federal management of these rivers.
This Master Plan supersedes the 2015 version and its supplements. The Project area for the Master Plan extends from Mississippi River Mile 0, at Cairo, Illinois upstream to the tail water of Locks and Dam 22, Mississippi River Mile 301, at Saverton, Missouri. Most the Project’s public lands are upstream of St. Louis, Missouri. The lower 80 miles of the Illinois River is also managed by Rivers Project and is therefore included in the update. The Master Plan does not address specific regional water quality, shoreline management, water level management issues, dredging and channel maintenance, or environmental restoration (such as the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program or the Navigation, Ecosystem, Sustainability Program). Furthermore, the operation and management of facilities such as dams, gates, powerhouses, and spillways are not included in the Master Plan.
The St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has prepared this revised Master Plan for the rivers with significant cooperation from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Illinois Department of natural Resources. Together these agencies, along with USACE, manage the Project’s 48,672 acres of federal lands and 106,177 acres of Project waters. Because the USACE Master Plan has been cooperatively prepared, it has the combined support of the federal and state agencies. Public comment on the proposed revision was accepted between January 8th, 2025 and February 14, 2025, and a record of those comments are included in the final document.
