Category: Safe Water

Floating huge barges on the majority of the rivers in the U.S. is not natural. It requires massive river-altering infrastructure. No where is there more of this infrastructure than on what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) calls the Upper Mississippi River System. This system covers the upper part of the Mississippi River from…

The U.S. Corps of Engineers has been responsible for “developing” the Mississippi River Basin’s rivers since the early 1800s when Congress directed them to do surveys and remove snags within the river channel. Navigation Mission To improve navigation safety and efficiency by the 1860s the Corps of Engineers was blasting out river rapids at several locations…

Wetlands are semi-permanently to permanently water-saturated lands that vary uniquely based on local hydrology, climate, geology, and vegetation. They act as natural filters and sponges to cleanse, store, and gradually release water into our streams, rivers, and reservoirs and are as productive as rain forests and coral reefs. Once feared as a source of disease,…

Landscapes With Purpose: Green Infrastructure and St. Louis Sewers The consent decree agreement between the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) and the Environmental Protection Agency requires $100 million to spent on “green infrastructure” to alleviate Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) problems that much of the city is facing. Read about Green Infrastructure below and view our GI Map of…

The St. Louis metro area is in the process of undergoing major upgrades to its sewer system. Like many systems across the country that were constructed before separate storm and sewage transport, during heavy rain and storm events in St. Louis, (see Sewer Systems and Wastewater for information on combined sewer systems), stormwater and wastewater from the…