“AMERICA’S
RIVER”
This
dramatic new national river interpretation and education center to be located in
the tri state area at Dubuque, Iowa, will develop the riverfront and create a
forum that contributes to a greater public understanding of one of our
nation’s most valuable commercial transportation arteries and one of our most
treasured natural resources, the Mississippi River.
The
Mississippi River Discovery Center will include a 50,000 square foot building
with world class interpretive exhibits that focus on the interface of human
culture with the river past, present and future. Major themes include the balanced use of the river over time
and human choices that have been made and continue to be made to manage this
vital environmental and economic resource.
In addition, a 1.5 acre wetland will be restored in the Ice Harbor
adjacent to the Center which will create wildlife habitat and provide a unique
educational area for visitors and scholars.
The
project will also provide a river walk, a riverfront amphitheater, and a rivers
edge plaza that will provide docking for large boats such as the Delta
Queen. A harbor walk, transient boat docks, and extension of the
27-mile long Heritage Trail system will complete the public amenities enhancing
the Discovery Center campus and converting urban blight into public access
riverfront space. View
Artist Drawing
Presently,
there is no major interpretive center for the five state region of the Upper
Mississippi River, a natural wonder on par with the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone
National Park. This project will
serve to educate through the interpretive center and to provide access to the
river for citizens and visitors through the riverwalk and its amenities.
The Corps of Engineers has a goal of restoring and preserving wetlands
and increasing recreation along the river.
The Center has a 5-year partnering agreement with the Mississippi Valley
Division of the Corps of Engineers, and all 6 districts on the Mississippi
River. As part of this partnering
agreement, recreational boat docks and other recreational facilities will be
constructed around the boundary of the planned wetland restoration area.
The
U.S. Coast Guard’s mission includes safety and aids to navigation.
The River Discovery Center, now completing final language for a
partnership agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard District 8, will provide an
opportunity for public education in these areas by creating interpretational
displays of the history of river safety and navigational aids.
The Center is adjacent to the Coast Guard station at Dubuque, and tours
of the station and the Coast Guard cutter Wyaconda
are envisioned to be part of this program.
The
Environmental Monitoring Program of the U.S. Geologic Survey, administered by
the Corps of Engineers, is monitoring the environment of the Mississippi River.
This River Discovery Center will be a significant part of this by
providing for public outreach and access to this important monitoring program.
Significantly, the EMP, under the authority of the Corps, has been
conducting studies of the Upper Mississippi River for the past ten years and yet
the public currently has little access to this information.
The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the Upper Mississippi River National
Wildlife and Fish Refuge a 194,000 acre wetland that extends 216 miles from
Wabasha, Minnesota to Rock Island, Illinois.
The River Discovery Center is prominently located at the center of this
refuge and, through its 20 year partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, it will be a major interpretive center for this refuge.
·
City of Dubuque – partner
initiating project (POC: Mayor Terry Duggan, 319-556-2525)
·
Mississippi River Museum –
partner initiating project (POC: Jerry Enzler/Teri Goodmann, 319-557-9545)
·
Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce -
partner initiating project (POC: Steven J. Horman, 319-557-9200)
·
County Board of Supervisors –
partner through funding (POC: Alan Manternach, 319-589-4462)
·
State of Iowa - partner through
major funding (POC: Governor Tom Vilsack, 515-281-0440)
·
Northeast Midwest Foundation (POC:
Ted Illston, 202-544-5200)
·
National Waterways Conference,
Washington DC (POC: Harry Cook, 202-296-4415)
·
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (POC:
Dorie Bollman, 309-794-5590)
·
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Region 3 (POC: Nita Fuller, 612-713-5401)
·
U.S. Coast Guard (POC: Capt. Ron
Morris, 504-589-6171)
·
U.S. Geological Survey (POC: Dr.
Ken Lubinski, 608-783-7550 x61)
Total cost of project is $30
million. Funds raised to date
totals $21.6 million including:
·
$4 million in federal funding
·
$7.1 million state funding
·
$2.5 million in city and county
funding
·
$8 million in private funding to
date
The remaining need is $8.4
million.
These
studies have been completed: master planning, schematic design, design
development, wetland planting plan, economic feasibility study, fund raising
feasibility study, environmental assessment, phase 1 archeological assessment.
Construction documents are now being prepared.
Construction will begin in fall of 2000.
Of all 60 cities on the Upper Mississippi River, Dubuque, Iowa, is the
most advanced with its project. With
additional federal funding this year of $4 million, it can complete the program
construction by 2002. This can be a
signature project for the American Heritage initiative nationally and can serve
as a model for others.
A total of $4 million in
federal funding is needed for: construction of the wetland restoration project
($2.7 million), support of the building and exhibit construction ($500,000),
construction of recreational boat docks ($500,000), and assistance in
restoration of National Landmark steamboat and historic boats ($300,000).
·
Proposed Champion - Department of
Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
·
U. S. Department of Transportation,
U.S. Coast Guard
·
U. S. Department of Interior –
National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
·
U. S. Environmental Protection
Agency
·
U. S. Department of Agriculture –
National Resource Conservation Service
Past support:
·
Senator Tom Harkin, D- Iowa,
secured $800,000 FY 1999 HUDVA, $1,802,712 Labor, HHS
·
Senator Chuck Grassley, R- Iowa;
Senator Tom Harkin, D- Iowa ; Congressmen Jim Nussle, R-Iowa secured $1,200,000
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Department of Interior.
Proposed support:
·
Congressmen Jim Nussle, (R- Iowa) -
working with Congressman Tom Latham, (R – Iowa), member of Energy and Water
Appropriations Subcommittee to secure $2.7 million for wetland construction.
Wetland construction at Dubuque by the Corps is authorized in WRDA 1999.
·
Congressman Ron Kind, (D-Wisconsin)
– one of several co-sponsors of Upper Mississippi River Basin Conservation
Bill with Agriculture and Interior. Congressman Kind has asked for assistance, which could
include funds for the Dubuque River Discovery Center project.
·
Governor Tom Vilsack – granted
$5,000,000 in forgivable loans for project, contingent on federal matching funds
in FY 2000 and 2001. This was
largest award in state in new attraction development program.
·
Governor Vilsack, (D- Iowa);
Governor Jim Ryan, (R- Illinois); Governor Mel Carnahan, (D- Missouri); Governor
Tommy Thompson, (R- Wisconsin); Governor Jesse Ventura – (Reform party –
Minnesota) - signed letter of appropriation support to Congress for this
project.
·
The Iowa and Regional Clean Water
Action Plan
·
Vice President’s White House Task
Force for Livable Communities and the New Market Initiative which contribute to
smart growth of urban areas and assisting the community in attracting new and
clean industries.
Submitted
by:
Owen D. Dutt, Upper
Mississippi River Navigator, 314-331-5450
owen.d.dutt@mvs02.usace.army.mil
Artist's drawing of the completed Discovery Center showing restored wetland (left) and
surrounding boat harbor (right). Go back to the top of the page!