By EDWARD HUSAR

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $28.5 million for projects involving the Mississippi River in Western Illinois.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who serves on the committee, announced the appropriations as part of an $111 million allocation for energy- and water-related projects in Illinois.

The funding proposal is not a done deal. The committee's recommendations will now be forwarded to the full Senate and House for consideration.

The allocation approved by the committee includes $9 million for the Upper Mississippi River Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program. The money would be used for continued preconstruction engineering and design work for an NESP project that involves extending the locks to 1,200 feet from their current 600 feet at five locations on the Mississippi River and two locations on the Illinois River, including Lock and Dam 21 in Quincy.

"This work is a necessary precursor for the construction of a new lock and dam system on the Upper Mississippi River," Durbin's office said in a news release.

Mike Klingner of Quincy, vice chairman of the Upper Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri Rivers Association, said he's glad to see the committee include this appropriation.

"This keeps the project moving along," Klingner said.

However, he added, "It's just not to the pace we'd like."

Klingner said supporters of the NESP were hoping the federal government would appropriate construction dollars for the lock and dam project as part of the economic stimulus program announced by President Barack Obama. He said the lock and dam construction would cost about $150 million, but no funding has been appropriated so far.

"We'd like to see that stepped up and get NESP fully appropriated," Klingner said.

Also approved by the committee was $640,000 for the Upper Mississippi River Comprehensive Plan. The money would be used to expand an ongoing ecosystem study of the river to include the impact of tributaries.

"The study will determine federal interest in greater flood risk management for transportation infrastructure, flood reconstruction and systemwide flood risk management, ecosystem restoration, nutrient management, recreation and watershed management," the release said.

Klingner said the extra funding "is good for the comprehensive plan," because it would focus more study on the impact that tributaries have on flooding along the Mississippi River.

Klingner said the rivers association is encouraging legislative representatives in the Tri-State area to push for Congress to adopt the comprehensive plan. The association also is seeking legislative help in drafting legislation for Congress to authorize "Plan H," one of the alternatives spelled out in the plan. It calls for allowing levee and drainage districts along the upper Mississippi to build their levees to a 500-year level of protection.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also approved $18 million for ecosystem restoration along the river that will include some construction work around Batchtown and Swan Lake, and design work for Wilkinson Island and Rip Rap Landing.

In addition, the committee approved $900,000 in funding to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Mississippi River in various communities in Western Illinois.

--ehusar@whig.com/221-3378