The Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) is a long-term program of navigation improvements and ecological restoration for the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) that will be implemented incremently over a 50-year period through integrated, adaptive management.
The primary opportunities are to reduce commercial traffic delays while restoring, protecting, and enhancing the environment. The primary goal is implementation of an integrated, dual-purpose plan to ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of the UMRS.
NESP does not directly affect authorization and funding of other programs addressing the needs of the UMRS, but management of NESP will be integrated with the management of other programs to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across programs.