The waters of the Mississippi River Basin (Basin) annually provide more than $19 billion of recreational fishing value. This economic value derives in part from species that require Basin habitats managed by two or more government agencies, including tribal governments. These “interjurisdictional fishes” require cooperation at multiple levels of government to sustain resilient populations and the habitat critical to key life stages. The Mississippi River Interstate Cooperative Resource Association (MICRA) identified implementation of aquatic habitat enhancement or rehabilitation projects in the Basin as a critical component of agency habitat rehabilitation programs to meet the life history needs of interjurisdictional species. Numerous completed projects within the Basin demonstrate the feasibility of implementing large scale habitat improvement. This symposium will use examples to share insights from Basin-wide project implementation and completion and describe progress of projects soon to be completed for the benefit of interjurisdictional fishes and other species.
Supported by:
- MICRA
- MN DNR
- WI DNR
Organizers:
- Neil Rude, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, [email protected]
- Jeffrey Janvrin, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources