Great rivers have always served as focal points for great endeavors — large discovery expeditions, the development of major metropolitan centers, the emergence of agriculture and ultimately the rise of civilization itself.
The
National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGRREC) is an innovative center for research and teaching located near the confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois rivers in North America.
Developed through a unique partnership between Lewis and Clark Community College, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability (formerly the Illinois Natural History Survey), NGRREC is situated in a unique position near a relatively unstudied yet significant ecosystem created by the confluence of the three rivers.
Its goal is to explore important questions about the rivers, the environment, and the impact on the communities, as well as to keep the public informed on such issues and related efforts.