The Lower Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) coordinates the work of many different state and federal natural resource management and environmental quality agencies that deal with aquatic resource issues along the Lower Mississippi River and throughout the Southeastern United States.

About Us

The Lower Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (LMRFWCO) is in the Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Primary station responsibilities include 1) coordination of the Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee (LMRCC), 2) control and containment of invasive carps throughout the Lower Mississippi River and Arkansas, Red, White Rivers Sub-basins, and 3) conservation and rehabilitation of threatened and endangered native species and their habitats. The LMRFWCO currently has a staff of four, which includes a project leader, a cartographer, and two biologists.

What We Do

Our Organization

Juvenile Northern Pike in aquarium at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery, South Dakota
The Fish and Aquatic Conservation program leads aquatic conservation efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We are committed to tackling the nation’s highest priority aquatic conservation and recreational challenges to conserve, restore, and enhance fisheries for future generations.
Program
Falls Church,VA
A half dozen large silver fish jumping out of the water to a height of six feet.
Aquatic invasive species cause tremendous harm to our environment, our economy, and our health. They can drive out and eat native plants and wildlife, spread diseases, and damage infrastructure. We work to protect our waterways and the communities that depend on them from the threat of invasive...
Program
A person is walks through a large wide culvert that passes under a gravel road. A small river runs through the culvert.
Across the country, millions of barriers are fragmenting rivers, blocking fish migration, and putting communities at higher risk to flooding. Improving fish passage is one of the most effective ways to help conserve vulnerable species while building safer infrastructure for communities and...
Program
Dozens of white birds flying over a beach partially covered in shrubs.
Geospatial science, data, and technologies are vital components needed to meet the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To paraphrase one of our regional geospatial coordinators, “No major conservation actions happens without geospatial technology, science, and data.” Geographic...
Program
A large, wet, furry brown rodent standing on grassy land next to a body of water
Invasive species are non-native plants, animals and other living organisms that thrive in areas where they don’t naturally live and cause (or are likely to cause) economic or environmental harm, or harm to human, animal or plant health. Invasive species degrade, change or displace native habitats,...
Program

Our Species

At this time we are working on: 

  • Silver carp
  • Bighead carp
  • Yazoo Darter
  • Yoknapatawpha Darter
  • Frecklebelly Madtom
  • Gulf Coast Walleye

Projects and Research

woman holding an alligator gar boatside
Image Details
Alligator Gar Restoration in Lower Mississippi Valley

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working to restore alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) populations in the Lower Mississippi River Valley.  Gar are not currently federally-listed as threatened or endangered. However, in some areas their populations have substantially decreased over the past 50 years prompting most states within their historic range to enact...

Project Title
Alligator Gar Restoration in Lower Mississippi Valley

Latest News

Biologists from the Service and State search for the Yoknapatawpha darter in Smith Creek in Calhoun County, Mississippi, on February 1, 2022.
Special Mississippi darter makes a comeback to Smith Creek
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologists were looking for evidence to confirm that their efforts to return this darter species to the creek had been successful. They found it.
A half dozen large silver fish jumping out of the water to a height of six feet.
Wildlife Management
Invasive carp in Southeastern waters
The spread of four species of large carp—bighead, black, grass, and silver— threatens the Southeast’s renowned aquatic biodiversity and local outdoor economies. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its federal and state partners are on the front line fighting Invasive carp in southeastern waters.
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Location and Contact Information