The Lower Mississippi River Resource Assessment was a study of information needed for river-related management; the needs of natural habitats and the species they support; and the need for more river-related recreation and public access. The final study was presented as a report to Congress.

Authority

Water Resources Development Act of 2000.

Scope

Parts of the Lower Mississippi River floodplain, Atchafalaya River Basin and navigable tributaries in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee from the Ohio River to the Gulf of Mexico.

Status

Study was completed and sent to Congress in 2016. Download report to Congress.

Partners

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• The Nature Conservancy
• Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee
• National Audubon Society
• Mississippi River Corridor-Tennessee
• Wildlife Mississippi
• Delta Wildlife
• Quapaw Canoe Company

Status of Project Area

The Lower Mississippi Valley has lost 80 percent of its forested wetlands and 90 percent of its floodplain, yet the 954-mile lower river and many of its tributaries remain functional ecosystems. The river’s 2.8 million-acre main stem floodplain ecosystem offers great potential for restoring fish and wildlife habitat as well as for expanding river-related recreational opportunities. The Atchafalaya River Basin encompasses the largest river swamp in North America.

Current Improvements

Re-introducing water flows to dozens of miles of Mississippi River side channels. Restoring thousands of acres of native bottomland forests. These projects are benefiting fish and wildlife, improving water quality and enhancing recreation.

Economic Value

The Lower Mississippi River Resource Assessment looked at ways of improving local economies through enhancements to river-related recreation and other measures. Tourism, including nature-based recreation, is second only to manufacturing in economic value to the region. These enhancements will be balanced with the need to maintain navigation and abate flooding.