Ground Broken for Great Rivers Center
Published: Apr. 7, 2003
April 7, 2003
Three great rivers converge near Alton, Illinois, the site of a new research, teaching and outreach program called the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center funded by an initial federal grant of $1.035 million announced February 2003 by U.S. Congressman Jerry Costello (D-IL).
The Center will serve as a location for research on river ecology, watershed and river management strategies, and educational programs for students and the public about these issues. It will be a joint venture between the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Lewis and Clark Community College, and the Illinois Natural History Survey.
"The Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri Rivers converge in Alton. This is a very unique and promising location for studying the interaction between land and water," said Gary Rolfe, University of Illinois professor of natural resources and director of the Center. "It's a perfect place to study large river ecology as well as the way the rivers and lands are used for commercial and recreation purposes."
Rolfe says protecting the ecology and quality of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri Rivers is critical. Yet, until now, nowhere in the world had a comprehensive research and education program on a major river system let alone on a site where three major rivers come together.
"Integrating land and water issues into a holistic approach is a new concept. Really, it's the only way to answering questions central to maintaining this river system as a viable resource," he said.
The Center will be multifunctional, focusing on research, but also college students and the general public.
"Lewis and Clark is looking forward to this partnership. I believe it will help our students and our faculty, who will be able to work with the faculty and students of the University of Illinois as well as the researchers from the Illinois Natural History Survey," said Dale Chapman, president of Lewis & Clark Community College.
David Thomas, chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey, looks forward to the new partnership, too, which establishes a long-needed facility and a line of research funding on an important topic.
"The Illinois Natural History Survey has been conducting research on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers for more than a hundred years, but this new Center is really the culmination of a dream. It's a place where we will be able to do very sophisticated ecological research, but it will be a great training facility for students and the public," Thomas said.
The federal grant, secured by Congressman Costello, consists of approximately $900,000 to actually start the programming for the Center.
"We have just announced an undergraduate internship program for the summer, and we're about to announce a small research program. We hope to fund five short-term research projects that will lead to more outside funding in the next year," Rolfe said.
"Also in the works is a research-information database to aggregate what is known about the rivers and to serve as a basic tool as a foundation for guiding long-term research and education program directions."
The federal grant also has $135,000 for architectural planning to design the field station. Ground was broken for the Center at the Mel Price Lock and Dam near Alton, Illinois on April 7, 2003. At the groundbreaking, Congressman Costello announced his commitment to seek the $6 million needed to build the facility.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also participate in the Great Rivers Center.
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