John I. Remus II, P.E. 1
Stabilization of the Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa to the mouth near St. Louis, Missouri for both navigation and related flood plain development will have resulted in the loss of over 500,000 acres of habitat by the year 2000. Stabilization of the river banks, which promoted the filling and eventual drying of side chutes and backwater areas, comprised the initial losses. As run-off from the upper basin became controlled, which reduced flooding, extensive agricultural development lead to the loss of terrestrial habitat. The Corps of Engineers has begun a $70 million program to restore a portion of these losses. The methods proposed for restoration include re-opening of old chutes and backwater areas, increasing top width in the main channel, and construction of isolated wetlands in the flood plain. This paper presents a brief history of these mitigation efforts to date. Case studies are presented for individual project sites which include project formulation, results of computer modeling, construction considerations, cost estimates and expected environmental impacts. Individual project performances are discussed, as are performance measurements for the entire program.
