Southwestern Illinois RC&D, Inc.

Middle Mississippi Partnership Coordination Plan

The Middle Mississippi River Partnership, a group of sixteen state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations, is working with Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) on the development of their first Vision Plan. The Southwestern Illinois GIS Resource Center, a division of the RC&D, has compiled and analyzed geospatial data to support the visioning process of the Partnership. The project area stretches from the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers near St. Louis to the Mississippi's confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, from bluff to bluff, covering more than half a million acres.

Each of the partners has contributed information and expertise to the Partnership. The Southwestern Illinois GIS Resource Center has gathered, synthesized, and analyzed this collection of information to assist the Middle Mississippi River Partnership in their efforts to expand and strengthen the network of protected and restored lands in the floodplain. Compiling an extensive library of geospatial information about the Middle Mississippi River corridor has put a powerful decision-making tool in the hands of the Partnership. The technical committee of the Partnership has requested analysis of GIS data to answer questions, set goals, and develop strategies for a coordinated effort across multiple jurisdictions. The successful integration of public and private conservation efforts is at the heart of the Middle Mississippi River Partnership. This group has brought together diverse interests and perspectives, and is using GIS to analyze information and focus efforts on areas of greatest need and potential for restoration. With a cooperative spirit and the power of GIS data analysis, the Partnership is developing a vision for the future of the Middle Mississippi River.