Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

National Research Council Completes Three-Year Review of USGS Water Quality Program
The National Academies' National Research Council (NRC) has released a pre-publication report resulting from a three-year analysis of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA). The report, entitled "Preparing for the Third Decade (Cycle 3) of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program," provides perspectives of on past NAWQA Program activities and makes recommendations regarding the current and future design and scope of the Program (see this earlier blog post for a summary of those activities and recommendations). The study is the result of a three-year review of NAWQA by the NRC "Committee on Preparing for the Third Decade (Cycle 3) of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program." You can view the report’s Table of Contents and read it in full by clicking this link.

Olympic News Now!  - - - "USA!  USA!"

As the USA and China battle at the moment in their London 2012 Olympic quest for gold medal supremacy, Team USA is already at the top of the leader board and bringing home medals by the corn-bushel-full on the heat and drought front.  And the USA are breaking records right and left in the process! The competition is quite literally melting away, although Russia and Brazil are giving the United States a run for its money in the unrelenting global pursuit of gold.  You can follow this article link and click on the story links under "Drought," below, to see all of the record-setting details, and to read how the climate change advocate and denial crowds have gone wild at the results (or, mad, perhaps - it's hard to tell which).  USA!  USA!

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Drought-

Status

Click to see large version of
August 7 Drought Monitor map

• Weather improving, but too late for US corn crop http://nbcnews.to/MGSeYA
• July hottest month in US in 118 years of records: wapo.st/ORZixK
• What cornfields show, data now confirm: July set mark as US hottest month on record http://nyti.ms/P7jTlc
• NOAA US Drought Monitor record: 62.9% of contiguous US experienced moderate-exceptional drought at end of July http://on.wsj.com/P7k53V
• Free Webinar: Covering the Drought; National Press Foundation, August 21; 11 AM-noon EDT; register: http://bit.ly/OLI1pF

Impacts

• USDA releases much anticipated Fri AM crop report; Drought Hit Corn Hard; USA Today: http://usat.ly/Neftcs & WSJ: http://t.co/SMP63T7J
• Drought dries up stretch of Platte River, slows barges on lower Mississippi http://nbcnews.to/N8bZob
• BBC News reports on US drought from severely-affected southern Illinois; article: http://bbc.in/NpG5Cd and video: http://bbc.in/NnqggW
• Mississippi River barge traffic halted at two locations temporarily as vessels run aground in low water http://reut.rs/N8bwSO
• Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City: “Initial (Economic) Impacts of the 2012 Drought" (PDF file) http://bit.ly/Q2VEzM
• As US drought continues, crop insurance losses are expected to break records and top $20 Billion http://cnnmon.ie/NPDNkJ
• In Oklahoma, statewide more than 78,330 acres have burned in wildfires since Friday http://bit.ly/Mqu8uY
• NY Times: Midwest's Fairs, Like Crops, Are Drooping With the Heat http://nyti.ms/Mqw3zY
• How the US drought could cost building owners $7,000 or more (dry soil contraction puts foundations at risk) http://dmreg.co/MqwCcZ
• Only about 1% of Nebraska state pastures are in good or excellent condition http://goo.gl/WvHFP
• Op-ed: Cows go hungry, farmers plow up conservation land for corn, and food prices rise. Nobody wins. http://bit.ly/QFDZlX
• US drought kills and threatens thousands of fish, mussels, birds and deer  http://bit.ly/PAmI8N
• Corn, soybean and wheat prices continue to rise as devastating drought across US Midwest hobbles crop supply http://wapo.st/P7kFP8
• Nervous hedge fund managers, commodity merchants, government officials and farmers will carefully watch Fri AM's US grain statistics http://on.ft.com/P7l18c

Federal Policy

• Bipartisan group of 14 Senators in letter to President calls for creation of Interagency Drought Task Force http://1.usa.gov/Q2ULXT
• Punishing drought has the makings of an issue that presidential candidates will soon need to focus on more intently http://politi.co/Mqt9Lz
• Feds announce series of small emergency steps to help farmers affected by drought http://1.usa.gov/OLLfcw
• NRCS announces cover crop sign-up for Minnesota's drought-affected counties http://cbsloc.al/P1Z7BU
• Washington Post editorial: Don't blame heat and drought on climate change -yet- but demand Federal action http://wapo.st/P9p97Z

Farm Bill-

• On PBS, Roll Call's Newhauser says only grassroots effort and "constituent anger" can break Farm Bill stalemate http://to.pbs.org/Mqqmlq
• Split widening on the Farm Bill between conservative farmers and Republicans opposed to subsidies http://bit.ly/Q2RQyz
• New bipartisan effort in US House to dislodge stalled farm bill facing early roadblocks http://bit.ly/Q2SRXe
• Conservative magazine calls for axing US House Farm Bill; calling it "worst major piece of domestic policy legislation" http://bit.ly/QGQbFo
• Obama calls on Congress to pass stalled five-year farm bill and help alleviate drought impacts http://bit.ly/OLL54T

Agriculture -

• National Agricultural Library seeks public input on Water Quality Information Center Website; survey: http://bit.ly/MquwKb
• Ag Media Summit: Congress doing to farmers what it's been doing to economy; small business owners -creating uncertainty http://bit.ly/Mqr5mF
• Number of US farmers markets surges http://ow.ly/cIoEb
• USA Today: Local food stirring more debate as new research suggests its benefits may be being oversold http://usat.ly/P20LTZ
• Ethanol groups form coalition to save federal support for biofuels http://bit.ly/Q35kKw
• New environmental groups' report: Farm subsidies add to grass & wetland loss; news piece bit.ly/QGPGuR & report bit.ly/QGPFqZ
• This new Renewable Fuels Association ad touting corn-based ethanol to appear in IA and MN movie theaters http://youtu.be/3ln9yCEA9mM (video)
• IA Governor: ‘folks on east and west coast’ don’t know enough to know ethanol plants use very little of US corn supply http://bit.ly/MqsqtH
• "Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch" - primer on conservation-oriented approaches to water use http://bit.ly/P1YRTk

Water Quality -

• Amid new lawsuit, USEPA appears unwilling to repeat Florida battle in Mississippi River basin; may "work with states" http://bit.ly/P7iQSg
• Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio sign on to Ohio River Basin Water Quality Trading Project; largest nutrient credit-trading plan http://bit.ly/Nnp25g
• Journal AWWA article: Moving From Adoption to Implementation of Numeric Nutrient Criteria (PDF file) http://bit.ly/P7iGu5
• Pilot project driven by WI's new phosphorus rules will reduce phosphorous runoff, save money through cooperation http://bit.ly/P7i8UY
• Mississippi Public Broadcasting: Conservation Officials Look to Farmers to Fight Gulf Dead Zones http://bit.ly/P7hpTT
• Archived Webinar now available: The Clean Water Act, EPA Regulation, and the Future of Farming http://bit.ly/N8grDs
• National Research Council Completes Three-Year Review of USGS Water Quality Program http://bit.ly/MqnzZF
• EPA publishes new web page on harmful algal blooms http://bit.ly/MqyWRg
• EPA Clean Water Act Section 319 Program "success spotlight" highlights work on Eagle and Joos Valley Creeks, WI http://1.usa.gov/MqzKFM
• USGS and NGWA Congressional briefing presents arguments for US groundwater monitoring system http://bit.ly/Nnplgv

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

• Experts divided on whether Keystone XL pipeline poses threat to massive Ogallala Aquifer irrigating much of central US http://wapo.st/Mqxrm6
• Mississippi River Commission schedules low-water inspection trip in Missouri River Basin http://bit.ly/N4OgsE

In the States -

• Free water quality test kits available for small livestock producers in Iowa  http://bit.ly/NnpCji

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• These invasive species databases will arm you with knowledge 1.usa.gov/NSVgqV
• Asian carp threaten other aquatic species of Mississippi River's Pool 2; could easily spread farther upstream http://bit.ly/QZ1uHX
• War on aquatic invasive species ramps up in Minneapolis MN west metro lakes http://bit.ly/QGQP5F
• Scientists studying climate change impacts on Great Plains grasses by simulating "super drought" http://bit.ly/Mo45F1
• Agencies and conservation groups team up to protect and restore Minnesota's 235,000 acres of prairie http://bit.ly/QFDKY1
• Wisconsin DNR Conducting Online Elk Restoration Surveys (Clam Lake area) http://bit.ly/QFFd0I

Gulf Coastal Region-

• EPA awards $100,000 to Louisiana to shrink Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" http://1.usa.gov/QGRFPS
• Researchers: hypoxia off TX coast sometimes due to water from local Brazos River (not Mississippi River) entering Gulf of Mexico http://bit.ly/OLGHTy

Resource Extraction -

• Louisville, KY environmental attorney turns down Office of Surface Mining award, citing Obama administration inaction http://cjky.it/Mqx4I6
• Research suggests oil/gas field fracking poses risks to drinking water supplies http://bit.ly/Mqy0w6
• Yellow Spring could become first Ohio town to ban all oil and gas drilling and waste wells http://bit.ly/P21wfY
• Missouri pilot project to test potential to transform mine tailings sites into biofuel crop sites http://bit.ly/QFFxfX

Events-

• Chance to experience the working Mississippi River on an authentic tug boat: http://bit.ly/Q2YZyN (via @unifymissriver)
• Center for Watershed Protection's Watershed and Stormwater Conference, Oct 8-10; Baltimore MD ($695) http://bit.ly/OLHP9R
• Free Webinar: Covering the Drought; National Press Foundation, August 21 11 AM-noon EDT; register here: http://bit.ly/OLI1pF
• Call for proposals: Conference on Protected Areas in a Changing World (Parks, refuges, etc.) 3/11-15/13; Denver, CO http://bit.ly/NL6LN0
• Abstract call: Can ecotourism, biodiversity conservation & sustainable community development be merged; 11/3/12; Keene NH http://bit.ly/NL9Axk

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• Missouri Coalition for the Environment's Kiefer Creek project summer newsletter http://bit.ly/OLHlk2
• National Research Council Completes Three-Year Review of USGS Water Quality Program http://bit.ly/MqnzZF
• National Academies releases publication - Disaster Resilience: A National Imperative http://bit.ly/PF8aEZ
• Journal of Soil and Water Conservation: A holistic strategy for adaptive land management http://bit.ly/P1YxUD

Other news-

• The Nature Conservancy launches Great Rivers website with Mississippi River Basin foundation http://bit.ly/OLIGHo
• New study ties heat waves to climate change http://wapo.st/OxbNOw
• Republican lawmakers:  Summer's harsh weather doesn't change their mind about global warming http://bit.ly/Ta554w
• WA State U researchers: fluctuating water levels behind dams and in reservoirs emit large amount of greenhouse gases http://bit.ly/Tg2OVs
• Ameren Missouri (power co) planning new coal waste landfills at 2 MO coal-fired power plants along Mississippi River bit.ly/PF9eIX
• Largest US coal ash waste pond (along Ohio River) to close, but future Federal rules still undecided http://bit.ly/P9qvzp
• Almost 1/4 of world's population lives in regions where groundwater is used up faster than being replenished http://bit.ly/MQRCuS

Political Scene -

• Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) wins MO's hotly contested GOP US Senate primary; to face Sen. McCaskill (D) in Nov http://bit.ly/OLK6Su
• Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) widely seen as the most endangered Democratic senator in country http://politi.co/MqpugH
• Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO) beats fellow Democratic Rep. Russ Carnahan in primary battle of US House incumbents http://bit.ly/OLKuQI
• In a race for the bottom, Obama and Romney battle for the pro-coal mantle bit.ly/OK9hYc
• Plummer (R) campaign poll shows him leading Enyart (D) by 17% in US House race for vacated Costello (D-MO-12) seat http://bit.ly/P7jnUf
• Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) effectively tied with state Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) in Indiana US Senate race poll http://bit.ly/P22F7e
• Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL-2) staff: he will seek reelection and return soon from medically-related absence http://bit.ly/NntAs9

Last Word -
"The most amazing mess." - U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) describing the state of the Farm Bill in Washington, DC's halls of Congress.