Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

With Congress in the last days of its two-week recess, the mid-country storms and flooding, and a new Clean Water Act jurisdiction guidance took center stage this week in the region and Washington, DC, respectively.  These are highlighted in the news summaries presented below.
 
Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week: 

Flooding, Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -

• History-making weather hits Midwest; "water woes widespread" impacting farms, towns & levees http://bit.ly/keNjso
• Mississippi River nears highest level since 1937 http://bit.ly/i4zMD2 & http://abcn.ws/eVGP7R levee system stressed http://abcn.ws/eVGP7R
• Widespread Ohio & Mississippi River valley flooding could be "catastrophic" http://bit.ly/fDbG29
• Midwest storms & flooding continue; Corps weighs breaching levee http://on.wsj.com/ejnc5a
• Missouri sues to block Army Corps flood response demolition of Mississippi River levee http://reut.rs/lW7FmE
• Army Corps preps for levee blast as legal issues loom in Illinois & Missouri http://bit.ly/mnkhPq
• Farmers along Mississippi River in SE MO face uncertainty if Army Corps decides to destroy levee to ease flooding http://bit.ly/kxh1WA
• Mississippi & Louisiana Governors issue flood warnings & declare states of emergency http://nyti.ms/jdyFLZ
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "NOAAWatch" Flood Resources  http://bit.ly/jkjrLn

EPA - Army Corps Clean Water Act Guidance -

• Obama Administration Releases Clean Water Framework; Seeks to Clarify Clean Water Act Interpretation http://bit.ly/izhx5X
• USDA: "draft Clean Water Act guidance...maintain(s) exemptions for ongoing agricultural & forestry activities" http://1.usa.gov/jXMhqv
• NY Times editorial board urges EPA to turn Clean Water Act jurisdiction guidance into formal rule http://nyti.ms/jNjsSq
• Agriculture groups come out against draft EPA-Army Corps Clean Water Act Guidance http://bit.ly/ldXxeG http://bit.ly/kEFFZ4
• Politicians come out against draft Clean Water Act Guidance http://bit.ly/ksEpoLhttp://bit.ly/lmVfuF http://1.usa.gov/lbmJGX
• Sen. Boxer (D-CA) supports proposed Clean Water Act Guidance http://1.usa.gov/kK50ay

Water Quality-

• EPA Modeling Raises Fears Over Strict Mississippi River Nutrient Limits http://bit.ly/hS38dw (pdf file)
• EPA Plans New Measures To Ease Farm Compliance With Nutrient Limits http://bit.ly/eC24cs (pdf file)
• Atrazine spike headed downstream for places like Lake Vermilion (IL) unless precautions taken http://bit.ly/h0O0VV
• FL Gov. Rick Scott: state will ask EPA to back off on water pollution rules http://bit.ly/fUvcZn
• US District Judge: FL Everglades need EPA to police cleanup; state authorities "have not been true stewards" http://bloom.bg/g67Owu
• Lake Pepin experiencing similar problems as Chesapeake Bay http://bit.ly/ikAcFT

Agriculture -

• Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Op-Ed: “Time to End Irresponsible Ethanol Subsidies” http://1.usa.gov/ha8Ghv
• RT @agville: USDA is working to create supply, demand for biofuels: providing grants & guaranteed loans to farmers http://bit.ly/iMWEPC
• Annual Update for USDA National Farmers Market Directory begins http://1.usa.gov/hKSne1
• NSAC submits FY 2012 funding recommendations for sustainable ag to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture http://bit.ly/hRTUQi
• Various ag sector interests predicting & girding for major Farm Bill changes http://bit.ly/i23UiH http://bit.ly/gNBdPl http://bit.ly/gvpNXl
• Senate Agriculture Chair Stabenow says committee will hold 1st 2012 farm bill field hearing in MI on May 31 http://bit.ly/kAVofp

In the States -

• Tennessee Clean Water Network releases report on state's water protection programs http://bit.ly/hIuSqW
• Dubuque IA agrees with state and federal regulators to stop sewage overflows http://bit.ly/ehq6aN
• U of MO researching Hinkson Creek (Columbia, MO) hydrology & pollution issues http://bit.ly/lWgqym
• Heavy rains flush raw sewage into Indianapolis streams http://bit.ly/mMFAlx

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• NWF sues EPA over Renewable Fuel Standard in "bid to protect America’s vanishing grasslands" http://bit.ly/iLlV7o & http://bit.ly/lRjkBP
• RT @gregseitz: Dennis Anderson op-ed: in the Asian carp debate, St. Croix River being ignored: http://bit.ly/fYIV9F
• USFWS replanting Louisiana bottomland hardwood forest http://1.usa.gov/liXCfh
• Missouri River: Climate concerns add to challenges facing Sturgeon recovery efforts http://1.usa.gov/mzNdNc

Federal Budget -

• Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL): worried that Senate not getting enough done on budget; should not have gone on 2-week break http://bit.ly/gHZZTk
• "Gang of Six" senators widely anticipated to deliver their budget proposal in early May http://reut.rs/ikcvJf

Events -

• National Research Council public "Conversation on America's Climate Choices;" May 12, Washington, DC http://bit.ly/hknIXe
• August 2011 National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration Registration Open (Baltimore, MD) http://bit.ly/js9RzB

E-Newsletters-

• April 26 issue of the Tennessee Clean Water Network e-newsletter http://bit.ly/gFMQV3
• Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee spring newsletter published (pdf file) http://bit.ly/k0q18t
• April Update (PDF file) from the Northeast-Midwest Institute on Mississippi River Basin issues http://bit.ly/mMvsLi

Political Scene -

• The Shape of Redistricting in Iowa, Louisiana & Arkansas http://bit.ly/elWmKP
• Missouri legislature passes new redistricting map, awaits Governor Nixon’s possible veto http://bit.ly/jPXTC0
• IA's 2 US Senators have history of switching votes on debt ceiling, depending on which party occupies White House http://on.wsj.com/gw68wx
• Kentucky's three GOP gubernatorial candidates support mountaintop removal coal mining http://bit.ly/jIwMFl

Other news-

• RT @MGhydro: 90min Briefing on NRC Report "Warming World: Impacts per Degree" http://tinyurl.com/3kdnmn2
• After one year, Wisconsin wood biomass-to-energy plant has had its problems http://bit.ly/hRtrKa
• Report: USGS  New Madrid "significant earthquake hazard" estimates based on sound science http://1.usa.gov/iUe3tq

Last word -
"Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody." - Mark Twain