In December, the Army Corps of Engineers released a proposed Missouri River Recovery Management Plan that will affect how the Missouri River is managed for generations to come. The plan would directly impact fish and wildlife, outdoor recreation, and communities along America’s longest river. It is critical that the Izaak Walton League and our members, chapters, and divisions comment on the proposal, including by making recommendations for ensuring long-range river management benefits fish and wildlife, the environment, and a diverse array of people who depend on and use the river.

The proposed plan contains six alternatives that would recover aquatic and terrestrial habitat lost or destroyed due to man-made alterations of the river, including construction of six upper basin reservoirs and a navigation channel from Sioux City, Iowa, to St. Louis, Missouri.

The draft plan is a massive and complex document totaling nearly 5,000 pages. League staff will review the draft and develop comments focused on what we believe should be included in the final plan, which will be issued in 2018. Among other things, we believe the it should emphasize additional recovery actions that restore or enhance habitat and increase recreational opportunities along the river.

For more information about this issue and how you can get involved, please contact IWLA Regional Conservation Coordinator Paul Lepisto at plepisto@iwla.org. Please also look for Action Alerts from the League. Not on the Action Alert e-mail list yet? Sign up today at members.iwla.org/news.