Securing the Mississippi River Watershed.

Building a network of policies and leaders for the Mississippi River watershed.

The Center for Water Security and Cooperation is mobilizing local, state, and Tribal leaders across the Mississippi River watershed to build a network of policies and laws that enable a collaborative, regional approach to management of the Mississippi River watershed.

The Mighty Mississippi Leaders Network: built on a commitment to collaboration and action.

This work is built on the Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders Agreement, a landmark agreement spearheaded by the CWSC, to generate collaboration among communities in the watershed and build a foundation for regional watershed policy. The Agreement unites and mobilizes Mayors and Tribal leaders in a common cause to protect, celebrate, and invest in the Mississippi River for the betterment and prosperity of their communities and the greater watershed. This agreement builds toward an interstate water compact by showcasing the extraordinary work that local governments and Tribal Nations are already doing to protect the river and creating a space to imagine what a shared future looks like. When local and Tribal leaders sign the Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders Agreement, they become part of the Mighty Mississippi Leaders Network. **Sign up for our Newsletter dedicated to the Mississippi River watershed to stay informed and check out previous issues: HERE.

Local and Tribal Leaders: How to join the Network.

1. Learn more about the Network

Joining the Network offers local and Tribal leaders unique opportunities to influence the future of the watershed and collaborate with others to make your community and the region stronger.

The Network.

2. Review the Agreement

See how joining the Agreement is a unique opportunity to celebrate the Mississippi River, showcase your hard work, and build partnerships with other communities in the watershed that bolster your capacity.

The Agreement.

3. Have questions?

Check out the FAQ (below) and set up a meeting with the CWSC to get to know us, ask any additional questions, make suggestions, or brainstorm your Implementation Plan.

Email us.

4. Sign the Agreement

Join the Mayors and Tribal Leaders who have already signed and become part of the Network. Complete the Signature Page and you're in!

The Signature Page.

5. Prepare your Implementation Plan

Work with the CWSC to prepare your Implementation Plan: 2-5 existing, planned, or new commitments you have for the watershed and your community.

Plan Template.

6. Meet your partners in the Network.

Attend programming and the first meeting of the Signatories! More details to be announced in our Newsletter.

Programming to be announced soon.

MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI LEADERS NETWORK MEMBERS

The local and Tribal leaders who have signed the Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders Agreement and become a member of the Mighty Mississippi Leaders Network include:

  • Mayor Jorge Prince, Bemidji, MN
  • Chairman Darrel Seki, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, MN
  • Chairman Michael Fairbanks, White Earth Nation, MN
  • Mayor Hollies Winston, Brooklyn Park, MN
  • Mayor Mark Nichols, Lake City, MN
  • Mayor Mitch Reynolds, La Crosse, WI
  • Mayor Bob Gallagher, Bettendorf, IA
  • Mayor Mike Matson, Davenport, IA
  • Mayor Mike Thoms, Rock Island, IL
  • Mayor Michael Morrow, Grafton, IL
  • Mayor David Goins, Alton, IL
  • Mayor Jo Anne Smiley, Clarksville, MO
  • Mayor Tishaura Jones, St. Louis, MO
  • Mayor Cliff Berry, Tiptonville, TN
  • Mayor Melisa Logan, Blytheville, AR
  • Mayor George Flaggs, Vicksburg, MS
  • Mayor Dan Gibson, Natchez, MS
  • Mayor Michael Fairbanks, St. Gabriel, LA
  • Mayor Buz Craft, Vidalia, LA
  • Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Executive Committee

EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES.

We have prepared briefs and other informational and educational materials, with recommendations for how to put them into practice, to give you even more ideas and tools to be a powerful leader for your community and the Mississippi River watershed.

In Connections, we illustrate the interconnectedness of actions, events, activities, decisions, and impacts. Why? Because water is complex, but it should not be a mystery. In our second connection we illustrate the connection between activities that impact water quality and drinking water quality and access. How is your community managing these interconnections? See the Connection HERE.

The decisions we make about water in our community, state, and country have impacts outside of that community, state, and country. While we may prefer to make decisions at certain levels, water requires collaborative thinking. Interstate water compacts enable states to combine forces and maximize the benefits of their experience and expertise to meet challenges and achieve shared goals. Read the brief HERE.

Water security is an actionable framework for understanding and prioritizing water needs to protect your community. This brief explains what it means to achieve water security and is the first in a special series dedicated to advancing water security in the Mississippi River watershed. Read the brief HERE.

While data centers respond to a growing need for computing power to support AI, e-commerce, and cloud computing, they put additional strain on water and energy supplies. This brief explains what a data center is and provides examples of what communities can do to be smart about bringing a data center into their community. Read the brief HERE.

In Connections, we illustrate the interconnectedness of actions, events, activities, decisions, and impacts. Why? Because water is complex, but it does not have to be overwhelming. In our first connection we illustrate the impact of drought on farmers, from increased costs to cancelled barge exports. See the Connection HERE.

This brief describes the plastics problem in the Mississippi River watershed and current efforts to reduce plastics pollution. It also provides examples of what communities can do to help reduce plastics winding up in the river. Read the brief HERE.

This brief describes the Mississippi River watershed and the importance of watershed management to local communities. It includes recommendations for how, as a leader and a community, to connect to the watershed. Read the brief HERE.

INTERVIEWS WITH LEADERS.

There are incredible leaders up and down the Mississippi River and across the watershed. We are interviewing leaders to give them a chance to share their story and wisdom, and to give you a chance to connect even more deeply with these leaders, their communities, and the experiences within the watershed.

In this interview, Mayor Goins, who signed the Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders Agreement earlier in 2025, kicks off our Interview Series and shares what the Mississippi River means to him and how he is working to bring his community closer to the watershed. Read the interview HERE.

Join us as a Future of the River Advisor.

Future of the River Advisors are leaders at nonprofit and for profit organizations that, like the Local and Tribal Leaders, seek to strengthen collaboration between communities and build regional policy for the watershed from the local level.

Learn more here and sign up here.

INFORMATION ABOUT JOINING THE NETWORK.

Access more information about joining the Network as a Local or Tribal Leader or as a Future of the River Advisor.

A two-pager that answers all your questions about the Agreement and how to get involved.

The Signature Page for Local and Tribal Leaders to sign to join the Agreement and become part of the Network. Available as a document here or a Google Form here.

A two-page template for Local and Tribal Leaders to complete to identify their 2-5 commitments to the Mississippi River watershed.

The Terms of Reference for joining as a Future of the River Advisor.

The Signature Page for Future of the River Advisors to sign to join the Agreement and become part of the Network. Available as a document here or a Google Form here.