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Council approves agreement with Augustana College for Southwest wetlands ecological surveys
Summary
Council approved a memorandum of agreement with Augustana College to conduct ecological surveys that will inform a management plan for the Southwest Rock Island wetlands and support application for Land and Water Reserve designation in January 2027.
Rock Island’s City Council on Feb. 24 approved a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Augustana College to conduct ecological surveys and stakeholder engagement for the Southwest Rock Island wetlands.
Nina Struce, chair of the city’s wetlands task force, told the council the MOA’s scientific surveys and community outreach will be essential to preparing a management plan in support of registering the land as a Land and Water Reserve with the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. The task force said it aims to keep the designation on schedule for January 2027.
The MOA, presented by community development staff, calls for comprehensive ecological assessment to inform management goals and includes a stakeholder engagement component that the task force and staff said will help ensure community input shapes the plan. The council approved the MOA by roll-call vote.
What happens next: Augustana’s Upper Mississippi Center for Sustainable Communities will begin ecological surveys and coordinate stakeholder outreach with the wetlands task force; staff said scientific findings and community feedback will shape the final management plan ahead of reserve registration.
