Posted on January 13, 2025
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, invites your review and comments regarding the revised draft “Rivers Project Master Plan Update” with accompanying “Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)” and “Environmental Assessment (EA)”.
The Rivers 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 recreation related purposes. The current Master Plan was approved in 2015. 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. This management effort also includes coordination with federal and state agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
Comments will be accepted from January 8, 2025, through February 14, 2025.
Rivers Project will host a public meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at the National Great Rivers Museum (2 Lock & Dam Way, Alton, IL 62024) to receive public input regarding the drafted Master Plan Update for Rivers Project. The meeting is scheduled from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in an open house format. This format will provide the public, partners, and stakeholders the opportunity to arrive anytime during the meeting period to identify public interests, concerns, and to solicit input on the drafted update.
The revised draft Master Plan, draft FONSI, and draft EA, along with the 2015 Rivers Project Master Plan and other associated documents, are available on the USACE website at https://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Rivers-Project-Office/Master-Plan/.
Comments may be submitted directly to USACE via email to cemvsriversproject@usace.army.mil, written on a comment card the night of the open house, or mailed or hand delivered to the Rivers Project Office at 301 Riverlands Way, West Alton, MO 63386, postmarked no later than February 14, 2025. All written comments received will be considered and will become part of the public record.
A Project Master Plan is a strategic land use management document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all project recreational, natural, and cultural resources throughout the life of a USACE water resources development project. It defines how the resources will be managed for public use and resource conservation. 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.
For the latest information on the plans please visit https://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Rivers-Project-Office/Master-Plan/.
