Big River Magazine
Explore the Upper Mississippi

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Big River Travel Map

View the Mississippi from excellent overlooks up and down the river. More information on overlooks

Sand Dollars — Mining Frac Sand in the River Valley (pdf) — Some of the best sand for fracture drilling is found in the exposed rocky bluffs along the Upper Mississippi. From July-August 2011 Big River. River News on frac sand from the latest issue.

Mississippi River Loops In each River Loop column we explore a stretch of the river where you can make a circle trip in one day. Follow along with us as we prowl for interesting places and things to do.

Repairing Driftless Area Fields and Streams (pdf) The Driftless Area Ñ spanning the river in southwest Wisconsin, northwest Illinois, northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota Ñ contains hundreds of miles of trout streams fed by clear, 50-degree groundwater and springs emanating from the limestone-dominated bedrock. Countless cold-water streams meander through Driftless Area valleys. From

Get ready for the Summer of Paddling! All sorts of activiites and events to get out on the river. You can make a pledge to paddle, or even sponsor an event.

Learn about places to go, things to do and places to stay along the Upper Mississippi. Visit our advertiser page.

 

Highlights ¥ River Trips ¥ Subscribe ¥ Carp ¥ Back Issues ¥ Marketplace

Troubled Waters Ñ 30 Years in the River Business by Jack Lambert Ð for sale in Marketplace

The Little Tow-Watcher's Guide recognize and chart the towboats you see on the riverÐ for sale in Marketplace

Sandhill Cranes by Alan Stankevitz

May-June 2012

Highlights and links from the current issue

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New from Big River Ñ proudly wear your carp!

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Pamela Eyden

Lake Pepin - Help!
Read and comment on the Metro Mississippi
and Minnesota River sediment cleanup plans

You now have until May 27th to send your opinions on the cleanup plans to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Lake Pepin needs relief from the clogging sediment. Here are some links:

The Draft Minnesota River TMDL report (pdf, 248 pages) and Draft South Metro Mississippi River TMDL (pdf, 136 pages) were released on Feb. 27 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (PCA). The latter report addresses total suspended solids in the Mississippi, from its confluence with the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling to upper Lake Pepin at Red Wing. The PCA will accept public comments on these for 60 days.

MPCA information and link pages:

TMDL Project: Minnesota River - Turbidity

South Metro Mississippi TMDL Turbitity Impairment

The public notice for the draft Minnesota River Turbidity TMDL is posted on the MPCA Public Notice webpage. Also on public notice is the draft South Metro Mississippi River TMDL, which addresses total suspended solids in the Mississippi, from its confluence with the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling to upper Lake Pepin at Red Wing.

More information on the state's impaired waters list and TMDL studies is available on the MPCA’s Impaired Waters and TMDLs webpage or toll-free at 800-657-3864.

Read Juggernaut or Long Shot? Saving Lake Pepin. From January-February 2012 Big River.news short

Friends of the Mississippi info on sediment cleanup plan.

Mississippi River guidebooks

Driftless Area, Lansing to LeClaire, Iowa, and Quad Cities Travel Guides by Dean Klinkenberg. More info and ordering info.

Deck on Deck: Towboating in the Twin Cities
by Capt. Bob Deck

What's it like to work on a towboat? Deck on Deck is a first-hand account of life on river towboats in the 1970s and 80s. These stories will entertain you as Bob Deck recalls his days as a deckhand on the Mississippi River.

Into the Magazine

  May-June 2012

Highlights and links from the current issue.

Big River Travel Map

Read Stories about the Upper Mississippi River from past issues of Big River Magazine.

See complete issues from 2006 and 2007 online (PDFs). Select issues here

River Loop Guide (day trips on the Mississippi)

Volunteer groups on the river - a nine-part series about non-profit groups making a difference on the Upper Mississippi

River organizations

Links to Upper Mississippi Resources

Contact us

All About Carp

Carp, Carp, Carp! Stories, recipes and Big River's Carp Connoisseur Challenge - Join the Carp Cuisine fun!

Live River Links

Towboat-watching resource: Army Corps towboats on the river, in pools and queued in locks.

Check the weather forecast and river levels for Upper Mississippi River cities.

Dreaming of a trip down the river? Read about boaters taking a voyage of a lifetime down the Mississippi on River Trips.

Upper Mississippi News Links

Upper Mississippi River Blogs

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Job Opportunity: We are looking for a part-time ad rep in the Dubuque-Clinton stretch of the river. For information call Reggie, 1-800-303-8201.