Interest in the best in climate-resilient waterfront design? Become a certified WEDG Associate this February! Sign up for our next livestream training on February 19-20 and on-demand training anytime.
Through Walton Family Foundation’s funding, participants in the Mississippi River Basin region may be eligible to take the course at no cost. Check Your Eligibility.
The Mississippi River is one of our country’s most vital waterways. It is a critical gateway for agricultural exports. Stretching from Idaho to western New York, nearly one in three Americans live in its drainage basin. The river and its tributaries are highly engineered to accommodate transportation and flood control needs, yet flood risk remains. Natural habitat along much of the river has declined, the floodplains are cut off from the river, and recreational opportunities are limited.
Towns and cities along the river are questioning how to build a more resilient future for their waterfronts. Here is where WEDG® (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) comes in: with support from the Walton Family Foundation, Waterfront Alliance is bringing WEDG to the Mississippi River to strengthen the basin’s floodplain climate resilience movement and achieve system-level change for community waterfronts facing flooding and other climate change impacts.
This is not the first time WEDG has ventured into riverine territory. In October 2023, Waterfront Alliance launched WEDG Version 3.0, which expanded the standard outside of coastal sites to accommodate inland waterways. Shortly after, in early 2024, Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project became the first freshwater project to earn WEDG Verification — earning complimentary remarks from Governor JB Pritzker. There is also a riverine project along the South Platte River in Denver currently under review.
Opportunities for the Mississippi River Basin
The two-year partnership with the Walton Family Foundation will lower the barriers for towns and cities to pursue equitable and effective climate-resilient design. It will enable multiple projects to earn WEDG Verified status at no cost and integrate principles of resilience, ecology, and access on sites. Priority project locations include the Quad Cities at the nexus of Illinois and Iowa and Memphis, Tennessee, areas at risk of increased flooding, repeat flooding, and more intense flooding that could breach levees and other infrastructure.
The Mississippi River initiative will also offer WEDG Professionals Course training at no cost to non-profit professionals, local, state and federal government agency officials, volunteers, and activists in the region. Reduced cost training will also be available for design professionals with for-profits firms working on projects along the river.
Further opportunities to engage will include workshops, town halls, presentations, technical assistance, education, and knowledge-sharing to inspire and steward resilient, ecological, and accessible waterfront design.
Leveraging WEDG to facilitate discussions on flooding, provide educational opportunities, and support project verifications will better position the Mississippi River to adapt to the climate change challenges that face the area and remain a crucial resource for its residents.
