Did You Know...?

About the Upper Mississippi River System
The Mississippi River is more than just a river; it is a unique resource and the best example of a multi-purpose river in the United States. In 1986, Congress designated the Upper Mississippi River System (which consists of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers and several important tributaries) as both a nationally significant ecosystem and a nationally significant navigation system. It is the only inland river in the United States to have such a designation. Congress further recognized the system as producing a diversity of opportunities and experiences, and directed that it be administered and regulated in recognition of its many purposes.