River Action is proud to announce we will once again hold a special Student Summit as part of the 2015 Upper Mississippi River Conference.

The summit is open to all high school and college students and will focus on environmental issues and topics relevant to many areas of study.

The event will take place Wednesday, October 14 in the afternoon and evening. The summit is free to all students and includes a catfish fry. More details to follow.

In 1996, the Quad Cities came together to adopt the Mississippi River Design Principles. These principles outlined a unified vision for the river in the QC area, focusing on four main points: Respect for the River, River Access, River Corridor Design, and River Interpretation.

The goal of the planning and its resulting document was to ensure and protect the sensitive balance between the region's economic engine and its biggest ecological resource.

The document prefaces much of the work that has been done by River Action and other partners to improve the riverfront and its RiverWay trail and park system throughout the Quad Cities.

To view the entire 88-page document, CLICK HERE

The 12th annual Henry Farnam Dinner to be held March 27, 2015, will celebrate the life and work of Ralph Modjeski, who designed the 1896 Government Bridge between Rock Island and Davenport as his first bridge project.

Modjeski, called “America’s greatest bridge builder,” went on to design and construct dozens of bridges in North America, including the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Bridge, and several bridges on the Mississippi River.

Modjeski capped his career by contributing to the design of the first span of the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge (now part of the I-74 bridge), which first connected Moline with Bettendorf in 1935.

CLICK HERE to make make your reservation online.

Tickets for the dinner at Jumer's Hotel & Casino, 777 Jumer Drive, Rock Island, are $40 per person. The cash bar, viewing of displays and raffle ticket sales begin at 6 p.m., with dinner at 6:20 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m. Reservation deadline is March 24th.

River Action has partnered with the Lakota Group and MindMixer to start a Quad Cities Development Opportunities Map.

The online map allows you to contribute ideas for development sites around the Quad Cities area.

Place your ideas at specific locations, and we'll make them available to local and regional planners and development organizations.

This is an opportunity to make your voice heard!

If you have ideas, we would love to hear them.

CLICK HERE to view the map.

River Action and WVIK 90.3 FM Augustana Public Radio are partnering to offer an informative and educational program – "RiverWay Stories" – which airs each Saturday morning at 8:34 a.m. during the station's “Weekend Edition."

CLICK HERE to visit the WVIK web site and listen to the most recent RiverWay Stories.

River Action has a full slate of Mississippi River fun planned for 2015. Mark these dates on your calender and keep up to date with us on our Google+ or Facebook pages.

• Photography Workshop, March 7
• Henry Farnam Dinner, March 27
• Fish & Fire Friendraiser, April 24
• Ride the River Father’s Day Bike Ride, June 21
• Floatzilla Canoe & Kayak Floatilla, August 15
• Sr. Golf Cart Tour of RiverWay Trails, September 3
• Taming of the Slough Adventure Race, September 19
• Upper Mississippi River Conference, October 14-16
• Tweed Bike Ride, October 17

Interested in volunteering for this event? Let us know!