The Mississippi River Eco Tourism Center is an 8,000 square foot building constructed by the CEC team. During construction, Clinton Engineering experienced the challenges that life along the Might Mississippi can bring, flooding. The team built docks to work from during flooding, and sandbagging allowed for concrete beams to still be poured.
The building is a conventional wood stick building and was elevated to ensure that the first floor never gets flooded, and water that may flow into the basement is managed with equalized pressure.
Notably, the building was constructed with one side left off to accommodate the installation of an impressive 8-foot by 20-foot fish aquarium. We used a removable panel design, allowing for easy maintenance and updating.
The Eco Center serves as an engaging and informative destination for visitors, offering educational displays, a classroom, banquet and meeting space and a camp store. Additionally, the 8,000-gallon aquarium is filled with a variety of fish that can be found in the Mississippi River. There are pontoon rides on the “Blue Heron” as well as canoe and kayak rentals to explore the wildlife that is common to the backwaters of the “Great River”.