Governor Quinn Presents Lewis and Clark Community College and NGRREC with $16.3 Million for Field Station

As thousands of people across the state of Illinois celebrated "It’s Our River Day" on Saturday, Governor Pat Quinn presented the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center with $16.3 million for the construction of the Center’s Confluence Field Station – needed funds that will help promote the economic and ecologic vitality of all great rivers.

"I am honored to be here today, on It’s Our River Day, to announce the funding for The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center Confluence Field Station, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the study of our great rivers," said Governor Pat Quinn. "There is no better location to establish this research facility than Alton, Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers." 

Dr. Dale Chapman, Lewis and Clark President and Chairman of NGRREC, said the Mississippi River is vital to the overall health of this region. "It provides our drinking water, a recreational retreat, and a means to transport our products to other regions of the world. We rely on our rivers to support us, and that is why it is extremely important for us to understand our rivers, how our communities have impacted them over the years, and sustainable practices that will maintain the economic and ecologic health of our river system for future generations."

Chapman added that because human communities are so tied to rivers, most people are surprised to learn that the scientific study of large rivers has lagged far behind the study of other aquatic ecosystems. Scientific research on lakes and oceans was greatly advanced in the early 20th century. Large research facilities were established for the study of oceans, such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (established 1910), and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (established 1930). Researchers studying larger rivers have not had comparable facilities, which has contributed greatly to the lag in our scientific understanding of large rivers.

Lewis and Clark Board Chairman Robert Watson thanked lawmakers for their help in securing the necessary funds to bring this one-of-a-kind facility to this region. "We are thankful to the Governor and to state representatives Dan Beiser and Jay Hoffman, as well as senators William Haine and Deanna Demuzio for their support of this vital capital project,"

Watson said. "Congressman Jerry Costello has also played a significant role in securing funding for this project, and we are grateful for his ongoing support."

Congressman Costello said that understanding the elements required to sustain a healthy river system is critical for not only environmental health but also for economic health. "An upgraded lock and dam network, while also balancing environmental needs along the river system, is important for commodity transport down the rivers to the Gulf of Mexico and on to world markets," Costello said.

Managing large rivers is extremely challenging because humans depend on many resources provided by floodplain-river ecosystems and have altered these ecosystems in ways that often benefit use of one resource while degrading another resource. A simple example is the simultaneous use of rivers for waste disposal and drinking water.

"We are located at the confluence of three of the nation’s greatest rivers.

These rivers are part of a large, complex system that supports tremendous biodiversity and agricultural productivity. The rivers have played a vital role in the development and growth of the State of Illinois," Senator Haine said. "The research performed at the Center will help maintain the viability of the river systems and watersheds. By studying both the environmental and economic impact of the rivers, we will gain a better understanding of how they can provide benefits in the future, while still maintaining an ecological balance."

River managers and decision makers today are faced with many challenging issues, including how to:

continue productive agriculture in the watershed while reducing nutrient export to the Gulf of Mexico that creates the hypoxic "dead" zone; maintain water levels for navigation while reversing the degradation of floodplain habitats resulting from water level changes and increased sediment loading from the watershed; control the spread of invasive species and reduce the ecological damage they are producing; respond to increases in the frequency and magnitude of major flood events.

Addressing these and other management issues requires intensive scientific research on floodplain-river ecosystems and their interactions with the human communities that depend on them.

"The Center will conduct important research that will have applications throughout the world," Representative Beiser said. "Researchers and river managers, and educators from the U.S. and other countries will be utilizing the resources of the Center to advance our collective understanding of the complex ecosystem in which the Mississippi resides.

According to Dr. John Chick, an NGRREC affiliate with the Illinois Natural History Survey, "No research facilities comparable to the Confluence Field Station exist in the U.S., and river scientists from other institutions around the world will utilize these facilities."

Completion of the field station will allow NGRREC to increase the number of Ph.D. level scientists working as NGRREC affiliates. Each Ph.D. level scientist typically acquires an average of $200,000 to $300,000 of research funding from federal, state, and private sources each year. "The majority of these funds are used to employ additional personnel and to purchase supplies and equipment from local vendors, providing a boost to the local and regional economy that will be amplified by visiting scientists from other institutions that will use the Confluence Field Station and establish temporary residence in the area" Chick said.

"The Center will be LEED certified and will be one of the most environmentally advanced facilities in the state. In addition to enabling important research, it will demonstrate how development and environmental concerns can go hand-in-hand," Representative Hoffman said.

"Lewis and Clark’s and NGRREC’s river research programs will find a world-class home near the confluence of the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers," Senator Demuzio said. "The building will serve as a model of green construction, and will produce insights into agribusiness and tourism in Illinois, and the environmental and economic impact of rivers to the state, nation and the globe."

The building will boast numerous sustainable design elements. Some of the elements will include a vegetative roof, solar tube lighting, innovative waste water technology, on-site wind and hydro power, and many other environmentally friendly and energy efficient options. Lewis and Clark will seek a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Platinum level for the building, the nation’s highest recognition of projects that incorporate "green" design principles.

One feature that will set this facility apart is its sophisticated mesocosms – large concrete channels containing flowing water and plankton pumped directly from the river. In these artificial environments, researchers will conduct controlled experiments by changing the water velocity or other environmental conditions. The results of these experiments will be used to predict effects on aquatic communities in the river and to develop conservation strategies.

NGRREC is the product of a unique educational partnership between Lewis and Clark, the University of Illinois and the Illinois Natural History Survey.

NGRREC was founded in 2001, and its mission is to promote better understanding and sustainable use of the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois Rivers, their watersheds, and the communities that utilize and depend on them.

"The stresses on our natural resources grow along with the needs of our expanding population," said Dr. Steve Sonka, Vice Chancellor for Public Engagement at the University of Illinois. "This new research and education facility is an important outgrowth of the collaborative efforts of Lewis and Clark, the University of Illinois and the Illinois Natural History Survey; along with many partners and collaborators."

Chapman added that NGRREC is already having an impact as a result of its symposia and internship programs. "NGRREC has hosted or co-sponsored six symposia on rivers, with the most recent being the "Visions of a Sustainable Mississippi River" conference held this August in Godfrey and Collinsville. We’ve hosted numerous scientific researchers from other nations who are looking at this region and NGRREC as a resource to address river issues around the globe. NGRREC has earned an international reputation for its river research, and the work conducted by the organization’s interns has also resulted in national exposure," Chapman said.

The field station staff and interns will continue to conduct research and education programs to increase understanding of big rivers, their watersheds and floodplains, and the interaction between the rivers and their human, plant and animal communities. Examples of research already taking place include: invasive species, mussel monitoring, long-term monitoring of the river, floodplain forest ecology and habitat restoration research.

"This research is crucial for developing sound watershed and river management strategies that can have global implications as we all strive to protect and sustain river systems amid exploding populations and increasing scarcity of fresh water resources," Gary Rolfe, U of I professor emeritus and director of NGRREC, said.

University of Illinois’ Interim Dean of Agriculture, Consumer and Natural Resources Dr. Bob Hauser said, "NGRREC partners have long recognized the importance of sustaining our fresh water and river resources. The programs at this facility will advance our understanding of sustainable management of our working river systems throughout the region, nation and world."

Governor Pat Quinn visited the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center on Saturday and presented Lewis and Clark with a check for $16.3 million for the Confluence Field Station, which is currently under construction near the Alton Locks and Dam No. 26. The funds are part of the State's capital bill and will be used to expand the Center's research capacity, as well as incorporate state-of-the-art, sustainable features into the building, which will make it a model of advanced green construction.

Press release prepared by Lewis and Clark Community College.