Mississippi River Commission is making low-water tour of Mississippi
By Jarod Wells
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 9:09 a.m.
Read more: Local, State, National
(Beardstown, Ill.) The Mississippi River Commission has been touring the Illinois River for the first time since 1976.
The presidentially appointed panel stopped in Beardstown today to tour that area.
KHQA's Jarod Wells talked to the president of that commission to find out how these tours can help local communities.
He also asked the Mayor of Beardstown what issues are important to his city.
The act that created the Mississippi River Commission in 1879 required it to take two visits up and down the Mississippi River every year. Once on the main stem and once on the tributaries.
"What our main purpose is," said Commission President Michael Walsh, "is to listen to the local sponsors and find out what kind of issues they have on the river and then we report back to congress. Specifically what we're looking at is flood damage reduction issues and navigation."
Along the tour, the commission also passes along ideas and lessons its members have learned on previous tours. What has worked in other areas and what could possibly help their community. Beardstown Mayor Bob Walters was anxious to tell the commission about his city's issue.
"Several years ago in 1938 the US Congress mandated the Corps of Engineers to change the natural floor of the Sangamon River here at Beardstown. As a result of that, its began silting the bay shut, we've completely lost the bay," said Walters.
Walters is talking about Muscooten Bay where the Beardstown Marina is, but you can no longer access the river from that bay. Walters also says silting is happening in front of the community. He told me in another 10 years you won't be able to see the river from Beardstown.
What are you hoping comes out of this tour?
"I just want to give them the message and first of all explain what the problem is," said Walters, "what the potential future damage is and the damage its created already. We're asking them to go back to congress and say 'we got a problem, we made the mistake, they government made a mistake and the people of Beardstown and the Beardstown area are paying the price for it, let's fix it."
President of the Mississippi River Commission told KHQA the other major issue for Beardstown and the surrounding area is flood damage reduction.
He says it's always important to look at how much of a risk there is for people living behind a levee.
