Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

LTRMP Annual Summary - Vegetation - Study Areas

Aquatic Vegetation

Vegetation Update Title Page

Study Areas for the Long Term Resource Monitoring Program's Aquatic Vegetation Sampling

 

Navigation Pool 4 is 73 km (44 river miles) long and includes 14,700 ha (36,300 acres) of aquatic habitat. It is located between Lock and Dam 3 (above Red Wing, Minnesota) and Lock and Dam 4 (Alma, Wisconsin). Major tributaries include the Cannon and Vermillion Rivers on the Minnesota side and the much larger Chippewa River on the Wisconsin side. Lake Pepin, a riverine lake created by the Chippewa River delta, is located in the middle of Pool 4. The location of Lake Pepin divides the rest of the pool into upper Pool 4 and lower Pool 4. The smaller backwaters of upper Pool 4 have been degraded by sedimentation, whereas the larger backwaters of lower Pool 4 provides much better habitat for vegetation. Navigation Pool 4, Upper Mississippi River Map of strata
Map of strata (larger version)

Navigation Pool 8 is 39 km (23 river miles) long and is bounded by Lock and Dam 7 (Dresbach, Minnesota) to the north and Lock and Dam 8 (Genoa, Wisconsin) to the south. It encompasses 9,000 ha (22,100 acres) of aquatic habitat. Major tributaries include the Root River on the Minnesota side and the Black and La Crosse Rivers on the Wisconsin side. The upper section of Pool 8 has high islands adjacent to the main channel, deep secondary channels, and backwater sloughs. The middle section contains lower islands, braided channels, and small backwater sloughs. The lower section is a large open expanse of water.

 Navigation Pool 8, Upper Mississippi River Map of strata
Map of strata (larger version)
Navigation Pool 13 is 52 km (34 river miles) in length and is bounded by Lock and Dam 12 (Bellevue, Iowa) to the north and Lock and Dam 13 (Fulton, Illinois) to the south. It encompasses 11,400 ha (28,100 acres) of aquatic habitat. Similar to pools upstream, Pool 13 contains many high islands adjacent to the main channel in the upper section, braided backwater channels and sloughs in the middle section, and a large open lake-like area in the lower section of the pool. Major tributaries include the Apple and Plum Rivers on the Illinois side and Maquoketa and Elk Rivers on the Iowa side. Navigation Pool 13, Upper Mississippi River Map of strata
Map of strata (larger version)

Navigation Pool 26, Upper Mississippi River

Navigation Pool 26 study area includes water bodies along the Upper Mississippi River from Lock and Dam 25 (Winfield, Missouri) to Lock and Dam 26 (Alton, Illinois) 63 km (39 river miles) long and the lower Illinois River from its confluence with the Mississippi River north to Illinois River mile 12. This reach of the two rivers is bordered by high bluffs on the Illinois side and low elevation floodplain on the Missouri side. The reach encompasses 9,500 ha (23,700 acres) of aquatic habitat. Presently, most of the backwaters of the lower Illinois River are isolated from the river by low levees so as to decrease sedimentation and allow management for waterfowl. Likewise, many of the secondary channels of the Mississippi River are isolated from the river on the upstream side to create backwaters and to reduce sedimentation.

La Grange Pool on the Illinois River is about 130 km (80 river miles) long and encompasses 10,750 ha (26,500 acres) of aquatic habitat. It is bounded by Peoria Lock and Dam to the north and La Grange Lock and Dam to the south. This reach has the highest proportion of backwaters, except for Pool 4, but these backwaters are highly degraded by excessive sedimentation over the last 150 years. Many backwaters are isolated by low levees to enhance waterfowl habitat management. Major tributaries include the Sangmon, Mackinaw, and LaMoine Rivers.

Content manager: Danelle Larson


Page Last Modified: April 17, 2018