Scenic Byway Drives Tourism, Links River Communities

It’s not only the Mississippi River that winds nearly 3,000 miles from Lake Itasca, Minn., to the Gulf in Louisiana. The Great River Road follows all along it.

The road, a federally designated national scenic byway and “All-American Road,” was the topic of an America’s Watershed Initiative lunch and learn webinar November 12. Guest speaker Susanne Thiede-Barnet, focused on how the Great River Road drives tourism, supports local economies and helps to preserve the cultural and natural heritage of river communities.

“The Great River Road is more than a road,” she said. “It’s a living corridor. It ties together communities, ecosystems and stories from Minnesota to Louisiana.”...