Inland Waterways and Ports:
Tap into Infrastructure Expertise this Summer with the LWVWI

by Meg Gordon

Splash photo of peninsula with vibrant agriculture, oil on canvas by Wisconsin-based artist Virginia Francis.

The phone rings. Yup, another one of those pesky pollsters calling, asking you to air your views.  Love them or despise them, sometimes the topics are worthy—like say, infrastructure. So far, polling results from those willing to pick up continue to show that we Americans want our infrastructure functioning, modernized and climate resilient.

Wisconsin just hosted President Biden in his push to make the current iteration of America’s bipartisan infrastructure framework plan a reality—fitting because we are rich with unique and expansive riparian and limnic shorelines, agricultural production and a staunch workforce. The visit did provoke some grousing because of a pivot from the Cates Family Farm near Spring Green to a city bus garage in La Crosse, but most Wisconsinites shrugged off the political pandering. We know infrastructure and agriculture go hand in hand. Rural or urban, producer or consumer, we all depend upon infrastructure to work, run businesses or play and we need not be pitted against one another.

“Our inland waterways play an important role in terms of sustainable transport, especially with regard to agricultural products,” says civil and environmental engineer Michael Schwar, lead author of the Wisconsin Inland Waterways section of the 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Infrastructure Report Card. “But they require ongoing maintenance and construction investments to remain functional.”

Wisconsin’s inland waterways earned a C-minus and ports earned a grade of C-plus in the ASCE Infrastructure Report Card. Included in the ASCE professional assessment were twenty harbors with eight major ports, plus dams, locks, and navigation channels along the Great lakes and Mississippi River.

“Use of the inland waterway fuels our nation’s economy, is essential for our global trade and international competitiveness, and it must be a national priority,” says civil engineer and upcoming panelist Tamara Cameron, Operations Division Chief, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District.  

According to upcoming panelist Colin Wellenkamp, who is a sustainable development lawyer and Executive Director of the Mississippi River Cities & Towns Initiative, “waterways and ports support more than 27,000 Wisconsin jobs. They also, directly contribute nearly $5 billion to the state’s economy, and to the natural infrastructure that makes this economy and a $15 billion tourism economy through the Upper Mississippi River Valley that is vital to growth and prosperity. “

“Wisconsin’s ports are the backbone of our state’s maritime economy,” says Adam Tindall-Schlicht, Director of Port Milwaukee and President of the Wisconsin Commercial Ports Association and upcoming panelist. “Ports require new approaches to capital investment to sustain their ongoing operation for decades ahead.” 

Tindall-Schlicht adds that “new local, state, and federal funding is necessary to improve the resiliency, reliability and capacity of aging port infrastructure, particularly as climate change affects both work and play on the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.”

“As taxpayers and members of the economy,” Schwar emphasizes, “we must weigh these benefits and if we feel they are worthwhile, commit to the required investments.”

“This is a critical time for investments in our inland waterway infrastructure and addressing the infrastructure investment gap is a shared responsibility,” says Cameron. “We cannot do this alone. We need the support of our interagency partners, local/regional/state leaders, and our consultants and contractors.”

“New approaches, new partnerships, new structures, and new management techniques are key to meeting the new challenges of climate change and infrastructure decay,” says Wellenkamp. “The Mayors of the Mississippi River Corridor have a plan. Come hear more on July 8.”

Because the devil is in the details, please join us, Thursday, July 8, from 3–5 p.m. for a lively presentation and interactive audience discussion on the condition and concerns of Wisconsin’s inland waterways and ports. And remember, our federal and state legislators need to hear from us—the public—to apply pressure for making infrastructure upkeep and innovation a priority.

Become an infrastructure advocate. Why wait for catastrophe? Help usher in an era of innovation and repair with the LWVWI-ASCE-WI Summer Infrastructure Series: a set of proactive presentations that bring decision makers and taxpayers up-to-date on the condition of Wisconsin’s infrastructure and empower advocates with facts. Thursdays, from 3–5 p.m.

• May 6: Energy (recording).

• May 27: Bridges and Roads (recording).

• June 17: Transit and Aviation (recording).

• July 8: Inland Waterways and Ports (Zoom registration).

• July 29: Stormwater and Dams (Zoom registration).

• August 5: Drinking Water and Wastewater (Zoom registration).

• August 19: Hazardous Waste and Solid Waste (Zoom registration).

For more information on each category meeting, please visit the LWVWI Events Calendar.
If you miss a forum, you can find the recording linked to the icon for the relevant topic on this page. Please direct questions about the LWVWI series to lwvwisconsin@lwvwi.org or 608-256-0827.

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