Historic Lock Chamber at Lock & Dam 19 Site - Keokuk, Iowa. - FWS photo

UMRCC Tech Section Members social Time. - FWS photo

The Fish, Wildlife and Recreation Tech Sections of the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee (UMRCC) held a joint meeting at the Kibbe Research Station near Hamilton, Illinois.  The meetings were well attended and the food and lodging were excellent.  A special thanks to Dan Sallee, Tom Beissel and the rest of the Illinois DNR staff members that assisted on hosting this meeting. 

Highlights of the meeting were a presentation by Ken Lubinski (USGS) on the Fishers and Farmers Fish Habitat Imitative, Jeff Janvrin’s (Wisconsin DNR) presentation on Island Habitat and Tim Schlagenhaft’s (Minnesota DNR) presentation on climate change.  There were two excellent field trips.  The wildlife section went to Lock and Dam 19 for a tour.  The second tour group was treated to a river boating experience which they experienced the high tech research vessel used by Southern Illinois University (SIU) to conduct fish sampling.  They also checked out the VR2 fish tracking receivers used by SIU to monitor sturgeon and paddlefish movements.  A special thanks to Mark Cornish (COE – Rock Island) for setting this up. 

Scot Johnson (Minnesota DNR) has been very instrumental in reviving the Recreation Tech Section.  At the fall meeting this group addressed several key issues concerning recreation on the UMR.  Agenda items discussed were boating impacts, CCP activities,       cultural resources, beach planning, Asian carp and geocaching.  The group also had great ideas for the new web site which will be updated this winter.  Cindy Samples (FWS) volunteered to construct the web site updates for the Recreation Section. 

The Fish Section will be updating their Fishery Management Plan.  The Wildlife Section will work in conjunction with the Fishery group to finalize the resolution concerning connectivity.  Future activities for the UMRCC also include Fish Habitat Initiative, work on designating the Upper Mississippi Wildlife and Fish Refuge and adjacent state lands as a Wetland of International Significance and the upcoming annual meeting.  The next Executive Board Meeting will be Oct. 22^nd in the Quad Cities.