Army Corps of Engineers Launches New Missouri River Recovery Program Online Tool

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has launched a new "Missouri River Basin Explorer" Internet site; an interactive tool designed to "provide insight regarding the river's natural environment and the efforts of the Missouri River Recovery Program."  The website describes various Program issue areas and how the Army Corps is attempting to address each of those issues, which include the natural environment, endangered species, human activities adversely impacting ecosystem functions, Federal agency actions designed to "alleviate stresses on the ecosystem," and "human values" (the latter issue area still being under development).  Links to each issue area produce a watershed map, where each of five different Missouri River segments can be "explored" with respect to that particular issue.

The Missouri River Recovery Program (also known as MRRP) mission is to research, plan and then implement actions to accomplish Missouri River ecosystem recovery goals in coordination and collaboration with Army Corps' partners and other River stakeholders.  According to an Army Corps MRRP overview, those recovery goals include:

• Providing habitat for native fish and wildlife by restoring natural features and functions.
• Raising pallid sturgeon in hatcheries and stocking them in the River.
• Implementing a more natural flow regimen to benefit native fish and wildlife while seeking balance with social, economic and cultural resources.
• Ensuring that management decisions are based on the best available science.
• Establishing collaborative stakeholder processes and educational opportunities to provide insight and recommendations on recovery activities.

The MRRP home page can be found here.