Lee Nelson Receives National Rivers HOF Achievement Award

The National Rivers Hall of Fame has named Lee Nelson, president of Upper River Services in St. Paul, Minn., a recipient of a 2026 National Achievement Award.

Nelson has spent more than 40 years working on and for the Mississippi River, from the wheelhouse of a towboat to efforts to balance commercial navigation with the health of the river.

He first worked on the river in 1979, when he took a job aboard a St. Paul riverboat while in college. Initially drawn to the field through an interest in maritime law, he went on to earn his U.S. Coast Guard license as a towboat pilot and captain. After years of navigating the Upper Mississippi, he moved into the business side of the industry.

Nelson now leads Upper River Services, an inland harbor operation that has supported commercial transportation on the Upper Mississippi for more than four decades.

Nelson joined Upper River Services as a pilot in 1986 and has led the company since 1991. Under his leadership, the company repowered two towboats and opened new State Street offices in early 2017, designed to evoke a towboat and a barge, directly across from the downtown St. Paul riverfront.

During a period when navigation and environmental interests were frequently at odds, Nelson worked to connect industry, conservation organizations, government agencies and river communities around a shared understanding that a healthy river and a strong river economy can go hand in hand. He helped develop the framework for the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP), which pairs navigation improvements with ecosystem restoration to strengthen the long-term health and resilience of the Mississippi River.

“Lee’s dedication, leadership and lifelong commitment to the river industry have made a lasting impact on all of us. We congratulate him on this well deserved recognition and are proud to be part of the legacy he has built on the river,” Upper River Services said in a comment to The Waterways Journal.

Past National Achievement Award recipients include river scholars, authors, environmental advocates, cultural leaders and industry leaders.

The National Rivers Hall of Fame, established in 1985, is part of the Dubuque County Historical Society (DCHS) in Dubuque, Iowa. It inducts people into the Hall of Fame and presents annual National Achievement Awards.

Nelson will be formally honored November 11 during the 23rd Annual Waterways Symposium hosted by Waterways Council Inc. (WCI) in Louisville, Ky.