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Residents, conservation groups urge city to protect Milan Bottoms wetlands ahead of proposed 'Casino West' development
Summary
Public commenters and local environmental groups urged Rock Island leaders to protect roughly 500 acres within the Milan Bottoms wetland complex and to fund a wetland management plan instead of allowing development that could increase local flood risk and harm wintering bald eagles.
Residents and conservation groups told the Rock Island City Council that proposed development in the Milan Bottoms—referred to by some speakers as “Casino West” or Bailey West—would damage critical wetlands and the largest documented bald eagle winter night-roost in the Lower 48.
At a public-comment segment, wildlife biologist Kelly McKay said Milan Bottoms is "the largest documented night roost for our national bird anywhere in the Lower 48 states," and warned that a proposed truck stop connected with the development would "have an extremely negative impact on the bald eagle night roost at Milan Bottoms." She said roughly half of the bald eagles that spend winters in the Quad Cities rely on that roosting site.
Why it matters: Speakers said the wetlands provide both wildlife habitat and natural flood storage; they urged the council to preserve the site and fund a…
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