The Mississippi River Network asks us to help Expand the Use of Natural Infrastructure on the Mississippi River!

LWV UMRR is a member of the Mississippi River Network.  Comprised of more than 65 organizations, this network provides information linking groups active in the basin and offering opportunities for advocacy.  This post, sent from the MRN, asks people to sign a petition urging Congress and the Army Corps of Engineers to restore more natural infrastructure to reduce the cost of flood damage mitigation.  

2019 has seen record floods on the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers and many of their tributaries. These high-water events are a vivid reminder of the role that natural systems can play in flood control and river management.

Natural Infrastructure means the system of floodplains and wetlands that are part of a healthy functioning river system – these areas hold water and can help take pressure off the levee system by acting as “safety valves” for floodwaters that can threaten communities and towns.

Natural Infrastructure can help reduce the costs from flood damage and repair (and can also help clean the water by filtering and processing nutrients and sediments.) A growing number of cities and states are embracing Natural Infrastructure because of its fiscal benefits, as well as those for the environment.

The Mississippi River Region urges Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expand the use of Natural Infrastructure in flood control policy and planning in the Mississippi River System by signing this online petition at this link.