METHODS OF 'FIXING' OUR RIVER SYSTEM CAN SPRING LEAKS

Our wetlands, flood plains and rivers are all connected and all of these comprise a river system. If any of these components are interrupted, abused or changed, it will affect all other components of the system.

Since European settlement, wetlands, flood plains and rivers have taken a back seat to urban development, river navigation and agriculture. Wetlands and flood plains were viewed as places of little value until they were altered for agriculture or development.

Just in the past 15 years, federal and state governments have started to assess how the elimination of 87 percent of Missouri's wetlands has affected floods, water quality, and the bio-diversity of the planet. Today we can see the effects of altering our river systems in the United States.

However, people have not recognized the highly significant role that river systems play in our lives. Our river systems in Missouri are some of the most productive and valuable systems in the world and should be recognized for the multiple benefits that they could have for humans.

Wetlands comprised a considerable part of Missouri's original landscape. One-half of Missouri's wetlands were located in the southeast portion of the state. Of the original 2.4 million acres of forested wetlands, swamps and bottomland forest in Southeast Missouri, less than 60,000 acres, or two percent, remain intact.

Other than trapping, hunting and fishing, the early settlers didn't feel that these areas had any use. During the 1800s these areas were harvested for timber, and during the 1900s they were drained for agriculture and real estate development. Hence, drainage canals were built, creeks were filled and straightened, and levees were constructed with the sole purpose of diverting water out of the area without any consideration of where the water goes after it leaves the area.

Wetlands play a major role within any river system. They act like large filters for the river. Water comes into the wetland and as the speed of the water decreases, pollutants, soil and any other type of sediments are dropped out of the water, making it clear and more pure. The water is used for plants that live in the wetland, recharging underground aquifers (well sources), or as excess runoff.

That may sound insignificant to some, but think about it this way. St. Louis is the largest city in Missouri so it is logical to perceive that St. Louis is also a major producer of pollution in Missouri. A large majority of this pollution goes into the Mississippi river. Cape Girardeau is the first major city below St. Louis and Cape Girardeau City's main water supply comes from the Mississippi River. Thinking about it in this light, wetlands could make the quality of our drinking water purer before it gets to the water treatment facility, which could decrease the amount of tax dollars that we pay for water treatment.

This is one of many examples of how wetlands could create cleaner water in Missouri and around the United States.

The changes that have occurred with wetlands have also had a tremendous effect on our aquatic ecosystems as well. Habitat is a crucial element in the life cycle of any organism. In order for any organism to prosper and survive, they need food, water and a suitable place to live; all of these entities comprise habitat. River-control structures have largely locked the river in place and wetlands have been cut off. No new habitat is being created and older habitat is slowly being lost.

The loss of this component will prove to be a great loss for humans and aquatic organisms alike.

The severity of floods is one of the many side effects of an interrupted river system. Water always has to go somewhere, whether it be in a flood plain, wetland, or a city.

During a flood, before European settlement, the water would overflow into flood plains, creating habitat for fish, birds, amphibians and mammals alike. The flood water would be slowly released back into the river channel as the waters receded. Hence, flood plains can reduce the size and speed of a flood event because they act as storage areas for water until the water recedes, reducing the impact of floods on cities and towns.

This would lower the amount of money tax payers pay for reconstruction of these areas. Government payments for flood-related disaster assistance total millions of dollars annually.

With only a small amount of connected flood plains left in Missouri, when it floods this water has nowhere to go but into desirable (populated areas) areas. If flood plains were reestablished, flood water could be diverted away from other desirable areas.

Some engineers are determined to protect these areas with the invincible levee; however, there is no such thing. Every time a levee goes up it pushes water and pressure down to the next levee looking to exploit the first week spot available, and water always hits its mark. As more levees are constructed and more flood plains are cut off, the risk for levee failure will rise.

Historically the Mississippi wandered through the river valley in a 10 to 20 mile wide meander belt. The river endlessly created new channels and abandoned old channels which, in turn, created new habitat for aquatic and terrestrial organisms alike.

Efforts to control the river's flood events began in the 1700s. In 1927, after the great flood, the Federal Government introduced a flood control plan which was an attempt to stabilize the river. Earthen levees, river bank revetments, rock dikes, cutoffs and land clearing were incorporated for channel stabilization. Since then the Mississippi River and many of its tributaries have been cut off from over 90 percent of its original flood plain. Eighty percent of the original 22 million acres of forest in the river valley has been cleared, only leaving several hundred acres of old growth forest.

When it comes to rivers, in general, people only tend to look at the changes that have taken place in their own backyard. Never forget that any change we make to a river system will affect people up and down stream of that river.

For example, we have also created a major problem in the Gulf of Mexico. Fifty-eight percent of the Mississippi River drainage is agricultural land. Nitrogen-rich runoff from agricultural land and other sources are entering the Mississippi River. Since we have eliminated so many nitrogen-absorbing wetlands and forced the river into a narrow channel, these destructive nutrients get carried down stream into the Gulf of Mexico.

The nutrients over-stimulate phytoplankton growth. As the phytoplankton dies and sinks, it depletes the Gulf's waters of oxygen. This area in the Gulf is called the Hypoxic Zone. It is several thousand square miles in size and NOTHING lives in this zone. Commercial fishermen and the billion dollar seafood industry are complaining that they are having to go farther and farther out to sea to catch seafood and they still aren't catching the numbers that they used to.

There are economic, safety and biological reasons why we should preserve our river systems.

For those of you that believe we should do business as usual, I ask you to look around and note the changes that are taking place around the country. Look at how we are all affecting one another. After all, that commercial fishermen in the Gulf is a farmer as well and we are all interdependent on one another.

We must retain our adaptability in this changing environment. As we move forward into the new century, we have to look carefully at the situation that we have created and make changes for the betterment of our society, environment, and most of all, our children.

Christopher Kennedy is a fisheries management specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation.