Standing on the banks of the Mississippi River, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota and U.S. Rep. Ron Kind from Wisconsin were joined by farmers and conservationists to highlight the importance of passing the Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act. Klobuchar and Kind are chief authors of the legislation in Congress.

Designed to protect farmland and water quality in the Mississippi River, the legislation would direct the U.S. Geological Survey to establish a coordinated, public-private approach to monitor and reduce nutrient and sediment runoff into the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

“It doesn’t matter what side of the river you’re on, we all have a stake in protecting our land and water,” said Klobuchar. “Every time soil and nutrients run off the land, it increases the cost of farming and the cost of maintaining navigation on the Mississippi River. These costs add up to hundreds of millions of dollars every year.”

Klobuchar added: “This legislation will ensure that objective, scientific data is available for everyone to work together to safeguard our natural resources for multiple uses, whether it’s farming, industry, transportation, recreation or hunting and fishing.”

“The river plays a vital role in our economy and our quality of life in western Wisconsin,” said Kind, founder and co-chair of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional Task Force. “Increased sediment and nutrient flow into the upper basin poses a very serious threat to the long-term health of the entire Mississippi River system. This bill will lay the scientific foundation necessary to ensure the future quality and beauty of the Mississippi for generations to come.”

Farmers lose an estimated $300 million each year due to soil erosion, which also adds sediment that requires costly dredging of the Mississippi River for barge transportation. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports that dredging on the Mississippi River costs more than $100 million each year.



Supporters of the legislation include National Farmers Union, Minnesota Farmers Union, Trout Unlimited, Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Mississippi River and Upper Mississippi River Basin Association.

The Upper Mississippi River system - with tributaries and a basin encompassing much of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri - is widely recognized as one of the nation’s great multi-use natural resources.

The Mississippi River and its tributaries provide drinking water to approximately 22 million Americans, and the system’s 1,300 navigable miles transport millions of tons of commercial cargo via barges. In addition, 40 percent of North America’s waterfowl use the wetlands and backwaters of the main stem as a migratory flyway, illustrating the environmental significance of the system as well as its recreation capabilities.

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