Environmental Pool Management in the Upper Mississippi River: Managing Water Levels to the Benefit of both Navigation and the Environment Edward Brauer Joan StemLer - USACE Ben McGuire - USACE Brian JohnSon- USACE Gretchen BenJamin – The Nature Conservancy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District FOUO – Do Not Release Outside MVS.

Navigation within the St Louis District Melvin Price Locks & Dam L&D 24 Illinois River Missouri River Locks 27 5 Locks and Dams, 4 with regulating control and 3 on the mainstem Mississippi, last one we (WC) controls is Mel Price. Open river from St. Louis to the Gulf. Mississippi River L&D 25 Low Water Dam 27 Kaskaskia L&D

Managing Water on the Upper Mississippi River Dam Point Control vs Hinge Point Control Dam Point Control The Navigation Pool is regulated at the Lock and Dam within 0.5 to 1.0 ft band limits Hinge Point Control The Navigation Pool is regulated from two points, the Lock and Dam and a location in the pool St Louis District Manages through Hinge Point Control (Pool 24-26)

Visualizing Hinge Point Operation L&D 25 RM – 241.2 Flow Melvin Price Locks and Dam Hinge Point Limits, Grafton: 14.2 - 16.2 May be exceeded if at maximum drawdown or Alton at 414.0 Alton Lower Limit: 414.0 Pool Limits: 412.5 - 419.0 Grafton RM – 218.6 Low Flow / Flat Pool Government Owned Flowage Easements Mel Price L&D RM - 201.1

Visualizing Hinge Point Operation L&D 25 RM – 241.2 Flow Grafton RM – 218.6 Low Flow / Flat Pool Government Owned Flowage Easements Mel Price L&D RM - 201.1

Visualizing Hinge Point Operation L&D 25 RM – 241.2 Flow Grafton RM – 218.6 Increasing / Decreasing Flow Environmental Pool Management Zone Government Owned Flowage Easements Mel Price L&D RM - 201.1

Visualizing Hinge Point Operation L&D 25 RM – 241.2 Flow Grafton RM – 218.6 Maximum Drawdown Environmental Pool Management Zone Government Owned Flowage Easements Mel Price L&D RM - 201.1

Visualizing Hinge Point Operation L&D 25 RM – 241.2 Flow Grafton RM – 218.6 Open River Environmental Pool Management Zone Government Owned Flowage Easements Mel Price L&D RM - 201.1

What is Environmental Pool Management? Goal: Provide habitat for fish and wildlife by managing water levels in navigation Pools 24, 25 and 26 to promote plants growth in shallow areas, typically along the shoreline of the river. Ongoing since 1994 Adaptive Management! - based on flows Daily/hourly gate movements at the dams Pilot project – 2015 to present - Extend the period of growth

Environmental Pool Management Imperative Continue to provide a safe and dependable navigation channel. BUILDING STRONGSM

Environmental Pool Management Started in 1994 with a relatively modest request Can we provide lower water and expose shoreline during the growing season? Request was for .5 ft for 30 days during the growing season, with a slow rise. We tried it and turns out that yes we could Have successfully executed EPM of some type every year since 1994 2014 we had a extended period of EPM and noted some really great results which shifted our thinking…….

Environmental Pool Management Goals (since 2014) Utilize the following parameters as general guidelines: Begin EPM around April 1st Before the majority of fish spawn begins Reduces likelihood of fish being stranded. Continue EPM from May 1st for at least 90 days or until hydrologic conditions require routine dam operations the period most suitable for vegetative growth and seed production. At the end of EPM, allow the pool to rise at a rate <0.3 foot per day or a rate recommended by the EPM Coordination Team Slow rise allows vegetation to survive and continue to grow

Environmental Pool Management Requirement Close coordination with resource managers in the field Environmental conditions will vary from year to year Time of year, temp, and precipitation all have an effect Field managers provide valuable insight into actual conditions Provide significant suggestions relative to needed adjustments.

2014 EPM got people thinking

Rethinking convention - Summer 2014 Cyperus spp. Fall panicgrass (Panicum dichotomiflorum) Cyperus spp. Wild millet (Echinochloa crusgalli) Smartweed spp. (Polygonum spp.) Sedge spp. (Carex spp.) In 2014, we noticed great species diversity Specifically the come back of perennial species (arrowhead)

What Can We Achieve? 2015 2017 2016

Biological Response to EPM Biological Response to EPM

Floating Leaf plants come back

Diversity of Vegetation -structural diversity - short species that would have been inundated with previous 30-45 day operations.

Compounding effect? Perennial species beginning to come back - the more years we can accomplish longer duration water level reductions, the better the will be

Vegetative Response Pool 24 - June 2016 This and three following slides show vegetation growth progression.

Vegetative Response Pool 24 - Early July 2016

Vegetative Response Pool 24 - Late July 2016

Vegetative Response Pool 24 - August 2016 The extream height (8 ft tall smartweed) shows that there definitely some nutrient uptake occurring This has broad implications for reducing the Gulf Hypoxia

Successful Endangered Species Nesting – Interior Least Tern Federally endangered least tern using the sandbar Would not have occurred during normal operations.

Pollinator Habitat

Seed Produced for Migratory Waterfowl Pool 26 Produced 650 lbs./ac ~ 1300 acres ~ 885,149 pounds of seed 30,000 ducks for 110 days Pool 24 Produced 750 lbs./ac ~ 315 acres ~ 239,200 pounds of seed 8200 ducks for 110 days

Benefits to Fish Summer Fall SIU-C 2002

And bugs (macroinvertebrates) SIU-C 2002

Residual vegetation May 2015 – Pool 26 May 28, Ellis Bay

If You Remember Nothing Else! Ballpark estimate >1500 acres in 2016 Increased diversity throughout the sites (perennial and annual) Increased structural diversity (short and tall) Increased sediment consolidation Nutrient Cycling (8 ft. tall plants) Early successional forest establishment – bank stabilization Increased vegetation production (annuals and perennials) Increased food availability for fish and wildlife Early timing increased mudflat habitat during the spring for migratory shorebirds Increased structure and diversity for fish and macroinvertebrates

Upper Mississippi River Basin Wide Workshop April 2017 Where Are We Going? Goal: Systemic Implementation throughout Upper Mississippi River Upper Mississippi River Basin Wide Workshop April 2017 Outcomes Expand and implement water level management opportunistically Conduct a cost-benefit analysis in other pools Address any policy and program implementation issues Implement drawdowns in Pools 13 and 18 Determine and seek necessary funding Further define how hydrology and hydraulics affect river management

Special Thanks Sustainable Rivers Program The Nature Conservancy USFWS Missouri Dept. of Conservation Illinois Department of Conservation The Upper Mississippi River Basin Association