The Mississippi River Commission will conduct its annual low-water inspection trip on the Mississippi River Aug. 8-21, making stops for public meetings at Cape Girardeau, Mo., Memphis, Tenn., Lake Village, Ark., and Morgan City, La.

The commission will travel the Tennessee, Cumberland and Ohio rivers with stops to meet with partners and stakeholders at Chattanooga, Tenn., Decatur, Ala., Clarksville, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., Kentucky Lock, Ky., and Olmstead Lock.

The public meetings cover presentations or comments by local organizations and citizens affecting the programs or projects of the commission and the Corps of Engineers, a report by the president of the commission on national and regional issues affecting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and commission programs and projects on the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and the district commander’s overview for the commission on current project issues in the respective district area.

Established in 1879, the MRC is composed of seven members, each nominated by the President of the United States and vetted by the Senate.

Three of the organization’s members are officers of the Corps of Engineers; one member is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and three members are civilians, two of whom are civil engineers.

General duties of the commission include the recommendation of policy and work programs, the study of and reporting upon the necessity for modifications or additions to the flood control and navigation projects, recommendation upon any matters authorized by law, and making semi-annual inspection trips.

The commission’s responsibilities include the entire length of the Mississippi from its headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minn., to Head of Passes, La., where it empties into the Gulf of Mexico and includes 1.25 million square miles, over 250 tributaries, 31 states and two Canadian provinces.