Congress authorized the Environmental Management Program (EMP) in the 1986 Water Resources Development Act to help address ecological needs on the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). Subsequent amendments have helped shape the two major components of EMP - the Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Projects (HREPs) and the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP). Together, HREPs and LTRMP are designed to improve the environmental health of the UMRS and increase our understanding of its natural resources.