Triumphs and Tragedies of Partnerships: Balancing Competing Objectives for the Upper Mississippi River Restoration – Environmental Management Program

The Upper Mississippi River Restoration – Environmental Management Program (UMRR) was created by congress to allow the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) to be managed for multiple ecosystem services.  The UMRR is implemented by the USACE in partnership with five federal agencies (USGS, USFWS, USEPA, USDA, USDOT), and the five UMRS states (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin).  The two main elements of the program are: 1) Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Projects to improve habitat quality in the UMRS, and 2) the Long Term Resource Monitoring of critical natural resources to improve our understanding of ecosystem structure and function.  The UMRR has a substantial record of success in both restoration and scientific research.  Nevertheless, managing the multiple and sometimes competing interests of this broad partnership unavoidably creates challenges.  Additionally, the UMRS is also substantially affected by drivers (e.g., sediment loading, climate change, invasive species) that operate at regional and global levels, and are not subject to the regulatory/management authority of the UMRR.  The UMRR partners need to find ways to work together, but outside of the UMRR program itself, to address these regional and global drivers that impact the ability of the UMRR to meet its strategic goals.