Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week - Pre-Holiday Edition

With the Thanksgiving holiday looming for those of us in the U.S., this week's Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week is a tad shorter than normal.  We also have Congress to thank for our brevity by recessing for the week, and keeping political news to a minimum (apart from the failure of the Supercommittee to meet its mandate, that is).

Speaking of the Supercommittee, be sure to check out the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's blog, which looks in-depth at various Farm Bill and USDA funding scenarios in light of the debt-reduction impasse (links under "Farm Bill," below).

And speaking of Congress, don't miss this week's "Last Word" from the DC-based political satire group, The Capitol Steps.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week 

Agriculture -

• Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy: US should adopt agriculture-climate change linked policies http://bit.ly/tWGlmk
• Study: As High Plains Aquifer water table drops, Great Plains farmers must cut use by 75% http://bit.ly/sYH391
• Incorporating trees into traditional agriculture makes crops more resilient in changing climate http://nyti.ms/ueEgQG
• Wet springs in Illinois have caused an increase in crop tillage, according to study http://bit.ly/tN9Lzz
• 1st in series of AGree publications re: complex issues & policies related to US food & agriculture system http://bit.ly/tWN8Bd

Farm Bill-

• Farm bill negotiators must now decide what can be salvaged from supercommittee’s wreckage http://politi.co/uFa548
• House/Senate agriculture leaders to "continue process of reauthorizing the farm bill" despite supercommittee failure http://1.usa.gov/u8WGqr
• Supercommittee failure halts farm bill's progress http://bit.ly/tC3jn2
• Sequestration could cut ~$15 billion from Farm Bill programs, but some question whether lawmakers will go further http://bit.ly/v1FwZB
• NSAC blog provides detailed analysis of potential future Farm Bill development scenarios http://bit.ly/v9giYV & http://bit.ly/smoWX0

Water Quality -

• EPA requests proposals for Urban Waters Small Grants to restore urban waters by improving water quality  http://1.usa.gov/rJHSQy
• Wichita, KS council members seek to meet clean-water requirements but minimally http://bit.ly/vJDS5A

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, etc.) -

• Congress weighing new ways of funding harbor/port projects without earmarks it's used to http://politi.co/v1wdJ9
• A reprise of last week's TNC-Corps 5th National Partnership Conference: Explorations of  water resource sustainability http://bit.ly/sR7JSB
• WI Governor Walker bill package includes proposed revamping of state's wetlands preservation rules http://post.cr/uynF7m
• WI Wetlands Assoc selected to receive 2012 Wetland Conservation Award by Ramsar Convention on Wetlands http://bit.ly/w4ODpy
• My take on the Fifth National Partnership Conference: Explorations of Economic and Environmental Sustainability http://bit.ly/sR7JSB

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Princeton University study: Do not harm invasive species that pollinate http://bit.ly/syGfC5

Federal Budget -

• Supercommittee not so super in the end; meets its kryptonite and goes out with a whimper http://bit.ly/t54d9H
• Congress on track to wrap remaining 9 FY 2012 appropriations bills into single omnibus when it returns after Thanksgiving http://bit.ly/sorFT0

Resource extraction -

• Environmentalists: Ohio gas drilling/fracking rules fall short http://bit.ly/vVJPyO
• ND regulators are concerned about the validity of an EPA study into the safety of hydraulic fracking http://bit.ly/sCAnTC
• Nebraska governor signs bills to reroute Keystone pipeline around Sandhills area http://reut.rs/w4G0az

Events -

• Free Webinar: "Tools for Developing State Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Reduction Strategies" Nov. 30 http://1.usa.gov/dCcmO0
• My take on the Fifth National Partnership Conference: Explorations of Economic and Environmental Sustainability http://bit.ly/sR7JSB

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• Winter 2011 Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee newsletter published (PDF file) http://bit.ly/siKA0j

Other news-

• Scientists see little chance of arresting global warming this century http://wapo.st/vormZj

Last Word -  "In the least shocking news of the week, the Super Committee was unable to reach a deficit reduction agreement. They also deadlocked when trying to decide if gridlock, dysfunction or partisan politics was to blame." - The Capitol Steps November 22 Facebook feed