Author: Neal Jackson, USFWS
The Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee was formed in 1943 in Dubuque, Iowa by a small group of natural resource managers who wanted to understand the impacts of river alterations and development on the vitally important communities along the river and the natural resources on which they relied. Much has changed since 1943 both on the river and within the natural resource agencies that seek understanding of the river. The founding members probably never imagined chevron dikes, 300 horsepower Mercury motors, or Bison bridges. Despite the changes that have taken place since 1943, the mission of the UMRCC and our partner agencies endures. The complexity of our mission is unchanged and the need for partnership in planning and implementing conservation initiatives on the UMR is greater than ever.
The history of the UMRCC, the conservation needs of the UMR, and the resulting partnership of the UMRCC is commemorated every 25 years with an anniversary publication. The first was presented to the UMRCC in 1969 at the 25th meeting of the Committee in Springfield, Illinois.
An additional 25 years of the UMRCC history was added in 1994 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The third 25 years of the UMRCC history is presented here. Building from an incredible anniversary celebration in La Crosse, WI in 2019, our OREIT technical section organized the below document in keeping with previous UMRCC publications.
Please click on the images to see the full version of the anniversary documents. I invite you to review the synthesis of the UMRCC history that is provided in these documents, reflect on the progress that has been made, and recognize the continued need for partnership in conservation on the Upper Mississippi River. A special thank you to all who contributed to the development of the 75th anniversary publication.
