U.S. Designates Upper Mississippi River Floodplains a Wetland of International Importance

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced approval of portions of the Upper Mississippi River, including the Midwest's largest national wildlife refuge, as a Wetland of International Importance.

In making the announcement, Secretary Salazar said, "The ecological, social, and economic values of the Upper Mississippi River make it one of the crown jewels of this nation's wetlands. This marks the 27th U.S.
wetland designated under the Convention on Wetlands. The U.S. became a party to the convention in 1987, which now includes 150 countries. It's certainly fitting that this area has now officially received international recognition."

The designation includes just over 300,000 acres of federal and state lands and waters of the Upper Mississippi River floodplain from near Wabasha, Minn. to north of Rock Island, Ill. The designation includes all of the 240,000-acre Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge headquartered in Winona, Minn. and the adjacent 6,226-acre Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin.

Other designated sites in the U.S. include such wetland icons as Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia and Florida, Everglades National Park in Florida, and Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin.

To read more, go to the USDA Water Quality Information Center news.