Conference, activities put focus on Mississippi River

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By Tom Saul | Thursday, August 21, 2008 8:55 PM CDT | () comments

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The Quad-Cities sits in the middle of 300 square miles of river basin with the Upper Mississippi River running through the heart of it, said Col. Robert Sinkler, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District.

But the Quad-Cities’ connection to one of the world’s most storied and best-known waterways gets little attention when compared to other Mississippi River communities, such as New Orleans, Memphis, Tenn., St. Louis and St. Paul, Minn.

It was Sinkler who planted the bug in ears at River Action Inc. to bring greater attention to the community’s connection to the river, said Kathy Wine, executive director for the river advocacy group.

The result is two days of seminars and panel discussions starting today of all things river for some 170 participants who have registered so far. There also will be a host of events free and open to the public through the weekend aimed at showing off the many ways to view, interact with and enjoy the Quad-Cities’ portion of the nation’s most significant river.

“We were approached by the Army Corps of Engineers and Col. Sinkler said, ‘I can’t sponsor it, but you can,’ ” Wine said of the Upper Mississippi River Conference today and Saturday at the i wireless Center in Moline and RiverWay 2008, a collection of nearly two dozen events and activities along the riverfront throughout the Quad-Cities.

The conference will feature a collection of experts speaking on topics ranging from obtaining grants and funding for riverfront projects to working waterfronts. The recreation activities include picnics at riverfront parks with the use of designer blankets, free sailboating, canoe and kayaking lessons, lock and dam tours and the River Roots Live music festival in downtown Davenport.

“So far as I know, this is the first time something like this is being done in the Quad-Cities,” Sinkler said of the conference. “It’s a forum to link up, where participants can look for opportunities to share best business practices in greater detail and network face-to-face.”

The conference and public events are important to the Quad-Cities’ evolution away from strictly working riverfront towns to those offering amenities and attractions for visitors and residents, Moline Mayor Don Welvaert said.

Moline got its start as a saw mill town — its name is literally an adaptation of French for “city of mills” — and is now trying to transition to waterfront developments where residents and tourists can go to play, Welvaert said.

The same is true in Davenport, Bettendorf and Rock Island, where all three cities have plans either on the drawing boards or in progress to transform portions of the riverfront into lively public spaces able to attract visitors, Welvaert said.

“In the words of former mayor Stan Leach, our back door is now our front door,” Welvaert said. “This conference is extremely important to the Quad-Cities because it focuses on an overlooked part of the river that has many unique characteristics and many stories to be told.”

Norm Moline, a geography professor at Augustana College who will moderate two panels on urban riverfronts and the opportunities they present for cities, said the two days of discussions and activities will stress the multiple roles and functions of the Mississippi River in our community.

“There is a natural and ecological side to the river, but there is also the recreational side and the urban, working waterfront,” Moline said. “During the sessions I will moderate, we will try to get across the idea that the river is not only a natural and recreational treasure, it is also a place where commerce takes place and where industry is located. It’s not just for the biologists and scenic folks.”

By contrast, Don Davis, commodore of the 100-member Lake Davenport Sailing Club, said the river offers a unique vantage point from which to see the Quad-Cities. As part of RiverWay, the club will have an open house at its Oneida Landing headquarters in Davenport, offer free sailing lessons on Saturday and have sailboat races on Sunday.

“It’s a great way to enjoy the river,” Davis said. “When you are sailing on the river, you see hundreds of people driving by who probably don’t even realize there is a river. It’s a great way to enjoy the river.”

Tom Saul can be contacted at (563) 383-2453 or tsaul@qctimes.com.