Who is it for?

Photo Credit: Robert J. Hurt

The Floodplain Prioritization Tool (FP Tool) is designed to help decision-makers identify and prioritize areas for restoration or conservation that are likely to be most effective along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. It is expected to help federal, state and local governments, county planners, land trusts or even businesses and citizens optimize their investments in floodplain restoration or conservation. (See the chart below.)

For the portfolio of priority sites identified throughout the basin, the Floodplain Prioritization Tool allows stakeholders to identify priorities and assess tradeoffs related to nutrient removal, wildlife habitat, flooding and other goals.

The FP tool is expected to be most useful when applied in partnership with local planners and decision-makers. For example, the FP Tool is helping inform a collaborative floodplain management plan for Missouri’s Lower Meramec River that’s being guided by an integrated, multi-disciplinary planning process through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Silver Jackets program. Here, the partners have created a pilot, localized version of the FP Tool that demonstrates the potential to adapt the basin-scale version to local partnerships and local floodplain management projects.

 

Potential FP Tool Users Potential Applications
Local Governments Development of watershed plans for water quality, e.g. 9 Key Element Plans; siting of natural infrastructure projects
Land Trusts Strategic conservation planning; prioritizing projects; grant proposals; wetland education & outreach
Compensatory Mitigation Project Sponsors/Wetland Regulators Identify and analyze potential restoration sites; guide project selection; support mitigation goals and improve outcomes
County Planners/Regional Planning Commissions Aid in developing local and regional comprehensive plans; parks and open space plans; flood control and water quality improvements
Private Businesses Wetland restoration as one component of meeting regulatory requirements, e.g. water quality trading and Adaptive Management programs
Wetland Consultants Wetland restoration planning and design
Watershed Planners Watershed assessments, water quality planning
Nutrient Management Specialists Nutrient management planning
Wildlife/Other Resources Managers Prioritize projects; identify and analyze sites; wetland restoration planning and design
Agricultural Producers Nutrient management planning; habitat improvement
Lake Associations Lake management plans; shoreline protection; water quality improvement; education and outreach
Universities/University Extensions Wetland research; education and outreach; economic valuation of wetland ecosystem services

Photo credits this page ~ Main image: Robert J. Hurt