Where the Mississippi and America’s Land and Water Conservation Program Meet

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was passed in 1964 to ensure American’s public access to outdoor recreation. Since then the law has helped create and improve thousands of projects across the country, from National Parks to neighborhood ballfields. According to the Department of the Interior, “for more than 50 years, the LWCF has invested revenue from federal offshore oil and gas royalties into more than 40,000 outdoor recreation facilities and conservation projects in every state”.

Along the Mississippi River and its tributaries, many of the public lands and waters funded by the LWCF are also helping two of the Mississippi River Network’s priority issues: Natural Flood Infrastructure and Nutrient Pollution Reduction.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund funds conservation projects across the nation; from National Parks to neighborhood ball fields.

LWCF projects help create a healthier and more resilient Mississippi River

Natural floodplains and wetlands provide the ecological and hydrological functions that improve both flood resiliency and filtration of harmful pollutants. (New to the topic? Read more about how natural, or green, infrastructure, reduces nutrient pollution in the Mississippi River here.)

Wetlands are an example of ‘natural infrastructure’. Wetlands provide multi-benefits like wildlife habitat, water filtration, and recreational opportunities.

The string of National Wildlife Refuges along the Mississippi River that has been funded by the LWCF provides stellar examples of these multiple benefits.

A few of these Refuges from the top to the bottom of the River:

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge – MN, IA, IL, WI 

Middle Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge – IL, MO 

Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge – Illinois

Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge – Iowa

Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge – KY

Chickasaw National Wildlife Refuge – TN

Cache River National Wildlife Refuge – AR 

St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuges – MS

Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge – LA 

Delta National Wildlife Refuge – LA   

2019 has been a year of progress for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Congress approved permanent authorization for the LWCF in February, ensuring that the law will not expire. But guaranteed funding for the LWCF remains to be done. Check out the Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition’s page for further info.

-Doug Daigle, Mississippi River Network Policy Manager

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