Corps Issues River Report

August 2, 2002

A long-awaited interim report on the navigation study for the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, which outlines the importance of modernizing the nearly 70-year-old lock and dam system, has been issued. The report, by the Army Corps of Engineers, should be a cue to Congress to move forward on the overdue improvements, the National Corn Growers Association says.

"The Corps' interim report, which recommends action on lock modernization and environmental restoration, has been in the works for nine years, and it's time Congress recognizes the urgency of the situation," said NCGA Corn Board member Greg Guenther.

"Farmers are losing millions of dollars a year, and the United States is losing its competitive edge in world markets because of the inadequate and antiquated river infrastructure." Guenther, a corn grower from Belleville, IL, whose operation relies largely on Mississippi River transportation, noted that the Corps' interim report could persuade Congress to begin the modernization process through Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) legislation this fall. Earlier this year, 25 members of Congress and six senators in the basin states signed letters supporting the authorization lock modernization and environmental restoration, which is estimated to take 10 to 15 years.

State legislatures in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota also passed resolutions supporting immediate action toward lock modernization.

"River transportation has proven to be the most efficient, economically feasible and environmentally friendly means for farmers to move their commodities, but all of that is in serious jeopardy if the wheels aren't immediately put in motion," Guenther said.