Mississippi River

A growing legal movement to grant natural entities like rivers and forests legal rights is gaining traction in the U.S., and environmentalists are now setting their sights on the Mississippi River.

Funded through Illinois’ Competitive Freight Program, the two biggest projects include freight yard expansion in both Madison and St. Clair counties and lane improvements on Interstate 55 and 70 between Collinsville and Troy.

While the Mississippi River produced major flooding in parts of northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, it is expected to crest well below serious flood levels in the St. Louis area this weekend.

Missouri’s endangered prehistoric fish is making a comeback. This is the second year in a row lake sturgeon spawning has been seen at the Maple Island Access in West Alton.

Many cities in the Upper Midwest have seen the river already reach its crest, as the water moves down through the system.

A new report from the Environmental Working Group found targeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture's conservation funding to the Mississippi River region would have huge benefits to water quality and the climate.

The project includes a new visitors center for the city and outdoor gathering areas.

Missouri and Illinois, which jointly own the existing bridge, have been planning a replacement for years and hoping that funding would become available.

Modern riverfront developments face a reality of accommodating a river that’s seeing major floods and droughts with more frequency.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently released new rules regarding the Waters of the United States that decide which bodies of water fall under federal protection. But a case the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on soon throws those rules into question and could mean less protection for wetlands.