In the News

BURLINGTON, Iowa – The Mississippi River Commission will host a public meeting August 15 onboard the Motor Vessel MISSISSIPPI along the Burlington, Iowa, riverfront. The meeting will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All meetings are open to the public and interested parties are invited to present their concerns, ideas and issues to the Commission during the meeting.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

1. Summary report by the President of the Commission on national and regional issues affecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Commission programs and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
2. District Commander's overview for the Commission on current project issues in the respective area.
3. Presentations to the Commission by local organizations and members of the public giving views or comments on any issue affecting the programs or projects of the Commission and the Corps of Engineers.

The Mississippi River Commission, established in 1879, is composed of seven members, each nominated by the President of the United States and vetted by the Senate. Three of the organization's members are officers of the Corps of Engineers; one member is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and three members are civilians, two of whom are civil engineers.

General duties of the commission include recommending policy and work programs, studying and reporting on the necessity for modifications or additions to the flood control and navigation project and conducting semi-annual inspection trips. The authority of the commission extends the entire length of the Mississippi River from its headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to Head of Passes, Louisiana, where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. 

The public hearing process is unique to the Mississippi River Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the public meetings is to maintain a dialogue between watershed interests, the public and the Corps. Presentations by the public are made orally, and a copy of the remarks is presented to the commission for official record and written response.

The benefits of hearing the issues and concerns firsthand through the public hearing process are invaluable to the commission and the Corps. Also, the interaction with congressional, federal and state interests, local boards and non-government organizations and the public is crucial to the decision-making process for the nation’s water resources.

The Mississippi River Commission brings critical engineering representation to the drainage basin, which impacts 41% of the United States and includes 1.25 million square miles, over 250 tributaries, 31 states and two Canadian provinces.

For more information about the public meeting, contact the District’s Corporate Communications Office at (309) 794-5729.