Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week: 

Water Quality-

• J. Environ. Qual.: Spatial Analysis of P in Mississippi River Basin http://bit.ly/iBbXYB (full pdf) & http://bit.ly/mx75vg (abstract)
• U of Illinois & Cornell U: Row crops, field tiles causing Gulf of Mexico water quality problems http://bit.ly/iMneEW & http://bit.ly/meovOr
• Mississippi River watershed floods raise nutrient runoff concerns http://on.wsj.com/juxKMT
• Federal Register Notice Published RE: EPA - Army Corps Guidance on Clean Water Act Extent of Jurisdiction http://bit.ly/k8Cgfx
• Environmental orgs sue Chicago water treatment authority over river pollution contributing to Gulf "dead zone" http://reut.rs/jHU6kI & http://bit.ly/lEs4E8
• GAO report: Federal stimulus funding bankrolled >3,000 local clean & drinking water projects  (pdf file) http://1.usa.gov/kZLcJn
• EPA launches new green strategy to reduce stormwater runoff & pollution in Kansas City, MO http://bit.ly/kTtF0A
• Sen. Cardin (D-MD) bill would address H2O pollution from highways; press release: http://1.usa.gov/jTrVad; bill: http://1.usa.gov/kJMnz7
• Endocrine disruptors may accumulate in biofilms/sediments/invasive Rock Slime;  abstract: http://bit.ly/j84LLC; news: http://bit.ly/kV7aiu

Flooding, Floodplains, Dams and Navigation -

• Illinois sets April precipitation record of 7.45 inches (> double average) http://bit.ly/m5MS6b
• US Court of Appeals allows Army Corps to proceed with Mississippi River levee breach http://nyti.ms/jTSBbV & http://on.wsj.com/jUP1uc
• Army Corps: Mississippi River levels reach "historical records" "testing system like never before” pdf: http://bit.ly/lK2Lua
• Mississippi Levee Commission asks court to overturn EPA veto of Mississippi River Delta flood-control project http://bit.ly/lpHB1q
• Army Corps blasts nearly 2-mile gap in levee at Birds Point, MO to ease record flooding http://on.wsj.com/k6jVxd  & http://nyti.ms/mzp4Qa
• Video & other coverage of Army Corps Mississippi River levee breaching operation http://bit.ly/jMsOCH
• Water recedes in Cairo, IL after  Army Corps blasts levee http://bit.ly/j4yVyT
• Army Corps blasts 2nd hole - plan 3rd blast - in Mississippi River levee to relieve Cairo, IL from flooding http://bit.ly/jze773
• MO Farm Bureau: Damage to MO farms from levee breach to ease Mississippi River flooding will likely exceed $100M http://yhoo.it/k1g8yw
• Scenes of waterlogged farm fields stretch from Minnesota to Indiana to Nebraska http://bit.ly/kA6l59
• Flood unease builds south along the Mississippi River http://nyti.ms/lk1uoA
• A slow moving disaster: Mississippi flooding http://bit.ly/m1PpYf
• Army Corps may open spillway near Baton Rouge next week to divert Mississippi River water into Atchafalaya Delta http://bit.ly/iZCOyc
• Map: Where to live to avoid a natural disaster (including floods), based on historical data & USGS assessments: http://nyti.ms/k2Oi85
• Map aid to track latest flood risk conditions reported at gauges throughout Mississippi River Basin: http://on.wsj.com/jDp9Pw

Agriculture -

• Foundations launch AGree effort to find 'common ground' in farm policy http://bit.ly/mGsiP0
• AGree farm policy & research effort has support of House & Senate agriculture committee leaders http://bit.ly/iyDtQl
• From NSAC: USDA releases Resource Conservation Act Appraisal; assesses US soil, water & related natural resource status http://bit.ly/mh3ejc
• House Ag Comm Chair Lucas to delay Farm Bill action until 2012; hopes falling farm profits will help bill outlays http://bit.ly/mHpddV & http://bit.ly/itCsLE
• Senators introduce bipartisan bill to end US ethanol subsidy & tariff on ethanol imports http://1.usa.gov/iOQaiv & http://reut.rs/lBrjIs
• Grassley-Conrad ethanol bill introduced 1 day after another ethanol bill; objectives differ http://bit.ly/mbFSMa
• House Energy & Commerce Committee questions slow development of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol http://1.usa.gov/l6JNFH
• USDA Economic Research Service: Corn price rise correlates with ethanol production http://1.usa.gov/jJYHWz
• USDA announces 1st Biomass Crop Assistance Program Area to promote development of next-generation biofuels http://1.usa.gov/mlSoNK & http://bit.ly/j3Hhj2
• Water for Food Conference speakers explore challenges, solutions of feeding a growing population with less water http://bit.ly/l5A7hC
• Debate over conservation vs. subsidy cuts is at heart of Capitol Hill discussions re: 2012 budget & next Farm Bill http://wapo.st/jsQbyt
• Perennial corn holds hope for cutting environmental damage http://bit.ly/kaWSMX
• ERS 50th Anniversary agricultural symposium today at USDA http://1.usa.gov/lufs2s
• NY Times editorial board: Farm soil erosion is "the legacy of bad agricultural policy" http://nyti.ms/jFsYXT
• Center for American Progress report: $4.9 billion direct payments program to US farmers should be eliminated http://bit.ly/jfZhlv
• Prince Charles addresses farm subsidies & pollution at "Future of Food Conference" in DC http://cs.pn/jvMObH [they produce a lot of great reports]

In the States -

• MN Residents, Agencies Look for Ways to Keep Sediment, Nutrients Out of Mississippi River http://bit.ly/jxULdR
• Ohio EPA planning to change water quality rules through new regulatory package http://bit.ly/k1L0Zz
• MN DOH: Minnesota's big walleye lakes low in/free of perfluorochemicals; no need for additional advisories http://bit.ly/kRy8TB
• MO Gov. Nixon vetoes state bill restricting CAFO lawsuits http://bit.ly/iG89hQ

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• 'Save the Frogs' activists rally in 19 countries; DC rally focus on atrazine http://bit.ly/mv0h0R
• WI DNR: Invasive Grass Carp found in Wisconsin River (Mississippi River
  tributary) for the first time http://bit.ly/iTT6n7 
• May is "American Wetlands Month" celebration ideas (NRCS) http://1.usa.gov/il3Ymr EPA website: http://1.usa.gov/lUddAe 
• Op-Ed: WI trout fishery threatened by climate change http://bit.ly/jzFt13
• National Council for Science & the Environment launches new website: Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World http://bit.ly/kVHnkh

Federal Budget -

Higher-than-expected Federal tax income means that the demand for US borrowing has eased somewhat and that the latest possible date when Federal borrowing would be below the debt ceiling, even using all of the accounting measures that the Treasury Department can utilize, has been pushed back three weeks until the first week of August, the last week before the Congressional summer recess is set to begin.  That is the date that Congress would have to pass legislation agreeable to the Administration to raise the debt ceiling (and allow more Federal borrowing).  Some conservative House Members and Senators have said that they will resist raising the debt ceiling unless Democrats and the Obama Administration agree to push through deep spending cuts for the 2012 Fiscal Year and beyond.  The stories highlighted below describe the current state of budget negotiations.

• GOP & Dem leaders hold first debt limit meeting with Vice President http://on.wsj.com/m8ajaz; voice optimism http://bit.ly/kfD9bH
• Senate Budget Chair Conrad presented draft budget to Democratic Conference (Tuesday) http://bit.ly/mNjfxf
• Senate's "gang of six" working on Federal budget compromise is on verge of being left behind http://bit.ly/iA5E1Z
• Senior Congressional Republicans: budget deal will focus on areas where parties agree, such as cutting farm subsidies http://wapo.st/jaaZWY

Upcoming Events -

• National Research Council to host Conversation on US Climate Choices; May 12; 4-6:30 PM EST; Washington, DC http://bit.ly/kVxQ92
• 2011 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress; May 22-26, Palm Springs, CA http://bit.ly/kTZWLv
• July 6 - 22 (or smaller portions of that entire trip): St Crois River Assoc "Paddle the St. Croix River" http://bit.ly/kLNBlv
• Growing Sustainable Communities Conference; Dubuque, IA; Oct 12; theme: “Economy, Engagement, Eco-Efficiencies" http://bit.ly/j650Mn
• Free webinar: Adaptation in a Changing Climate and its impact on National Security; June 22 http://bit.ly/lVHQBI

E-Newsletters-

• "National Water Monitoring News" Spring 2011 Issue website: http://1.usa.gov/aCo96a newsletter pdf http://1.usa.gov/jzFdbW 
• American Farmland Trust's May E-news issue posted http://bit.ly/iVq808

Political Scene -

• MO Legislature overrides Gov Nixon's redistricting bill veto http://bit.ly/l8GiOJ
• Pew study: "independents" not monolithic voting block; there are 3 basic kinds http://bit.ly/lo9s9M
• Rep. Pence (R-IN) announces he will run for governor instead of seeking re-election to Congress http://bit.ly/kOFOoW
• New Senate GOP bill (S. 892) aims to consolidate Dept of Energy and USEPA; press release: http://bit.ly/iyK0OA

Gulf Coastal Area-

• USGS scientist: Pre-spill, Gulf Coastal threats cannot be ignored http://huff.to/jGISRA
• Long distance sediment pipeline idea offers hope for LA Delta restoration http://bit.ly/k9to6g

Other news-

• Study: Environmental footprint assessments can lead to adoption of less environmentally sound practices http://bit.ly/mOL70z
• Journal Science study: Climate change has already impacted crop yields worldwide since 1980 http://bit.ly/iTslfY

Last word -
"The Oval Office, I always thought I was going to have really cool phones and stuff. I’m like, c’mon guys, I’m the President of the United States. Where’s the fancy buttons and stuff and the big screen comes up? It doesn’t happen.” - President Obama discussing technological bottlenecks at a Chicago Illinois fundraiser