Holiday Greetings to All - We Will Return in 2013

This will be our final blog post for 2012. Not because we expect that the world to end on December 21, but because the entire Mississippi River Water Resources Blog update editorial staff will be in a land where cooler heads and temperatures prevail for the next week or so (a land known as “Pennsylvania”).  

Here's wishing a peace-filled holiday season to one and all! 

A Pennsylvania Woodland Winter's Scene
in the Allegheny River Watershed

Hello New Year (Goodbye Farm Bill?)

Messaging coming out of House Speaker John Boehner's office this week, while not the final nail in the 2012 Farm Bill coffin, certainly has closed the coffin lid with a resounding thud.  POLITICO on Tuesday quoted a Boehner aid as saying, "If we can agree on a top-line number, we suspect the committees will have a much easier time getting to a (farm) bill next year under regular order,” after describing how difficult it would be for the House to agree to the Farm Bill's inclusion in any year-end fiscal cliff deal (a deal which, it should be pointed out, is itself tenuous at the moment).  On the back end of that news, Bloomberg news reports that the House Agriculture Committee leaders are already making plans to start anew in 2013 on the Farm Bill, with consideration of the bill likely to begin in late February.

The provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill lapsed on September 30 of this year, and to provide critical short-term program authority it appears more and more likely that a stop-gap bill or bills will be necessary to reinstate already-expired conservation programs and to prevent federal farm policy from reverting automatically to  provisions contained in the initial federal farm policy legislation passed in 1949.  Those interim authorities could potentially be included in any fiscal cliff legislation.  For more detailed coverage of this issue, please see the various articles included under the "Farm Bill" section of the Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News of the Week blog post.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week - Early Edition

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Sandy Spending Bill Slowed by Measures That Reach Beyond Storm's Impact

Like too many ornaments on a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, the emergency spending bill for Hurricane Sandy relief that the Senate is considering this week (Senate Amendment 3338 to House Resolution 1, the "Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011") has run into the somewhat foreseeable predicament of too many amendments and too little time. Although the storm relief measures of the supplemental appropriation bill largely have bipartisan support, criticism of those parts added to the bill that are not directly pertinent to hurricane damage relief has grown since its introduction on Monday.  Several of those added measures are directly and indirectly related to water resource issues, and their inclusion in the bill is being questioned by GOP Senators, taxpayer organizations and conservative groups. Others, primarily Democratic senators, are arguing for inclusion of the additional spending measures. In the meantime, time is running out for Congress to consider the bill this year, especially in its presently-encumbered state.  For more details, read here.

Hello New Year (Goodbye Farm Bill?)
Messaging coming out of House Speaker John Boehner's office this week, while not the final nail in the 2012 Farm Bill coffin, certainly has closed the coffin lid with a resounding thud.  POLITICO on Tuesday quoted a Boehner aid as saying, "If we can agree on a top-line number, we suspect the committees will have a much easier time getting to a (farm) bill next year under regular order,” after describing how difficult it would be for the House to agree to the Farm Bill's inclusion in any year-end fiscal cliff deal (a deal which, it should be pointed out, is itself tenuous at the moment).  On the back end of that news, Bloomberg news reports that the House Agriculture Committee leaders are already making plans to start anew in 2013 on the Farm Bill, with consideration of the bill likely to begin in late February.

The provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill lapsed on September 30 of this year, and to provide critical short-term program authority it appears more and more likely that a stop-gap bill or bills will be necessary to reinstate already-expired conservation programs and to prevent federal farm policy from reverting automatically to  provisions contained in the initial federal farm policy legislation passed in 1949.  Those interim authorities could potentially be included in any fiscal cliff legislation.  For more detailed coverage of this issue, please see the various articles included under the "Farm Bill" section, below.

Early-Winter Hiatus

And speaking of Christmas trees, your FNB (Friendly Neighborhood Blogger) will be on an early Winter's break until Wednesday, January 3 (assuming the world doesn't end on December 21). We will be back with weekly updates once more starting on the first Friday of 2013 with a "catch-up edition."   Here's wishing you a peaceful holiday season!




Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -

• US Water Alliance gathers agriculture, water and environmental leaders to discuss Mississippi River nutrients http://bit.ly/UEb0Ph
• Iowa State University researchers studying feasibility of growing algae in poultry houses using ammonia from wastes http://bit.ly/12mNzPR
• Study shows dammed Hebgen Lake captures much of Madison River's mercury (head water tributary of Missouri River) http://bit.ly/UOHdn8
• USGS: West Virginia groundwater quality generally good; iron, manganese and radon are potential concerns http://bit.ly/UOHSF1
• Groups launch “Upgrade Your Infrastructure: Guide to Green Infrastructure Portfolio Standard and Building Stormwater Retrofits” http://bit.ly/SMZd50

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

• Daily Republic (SD) editorial: Missouri River water "too precious to be wasted on downstream interests" http://bit.ly/UcGzCm
• Army Corps awards permit to demolish 107-year-old Minnesota Falls Dam on Minnesota River southeast of Granite Falls http://bit.ly/U6fzn8
• Restoring continental divide in Chicago between the Mississippi and Great Lakes basins would be costly and complex http://bit.ly/T4l1af
• Milwaukee Common Council members urge separation of Chicago River and Mississippi River basin http://bit.ly/UE92hq
• Environmentalists question whether fracking water diversion eventually will impact Missouri River navigation http://bit.ly/UOIgDv
• Climate change pits Sioux against barges for scarce Missouri and Mississippi River basin water http://bloom.bg/UOKeDX
• Shale drillers want to move drilling wastewater on barges in Upper Ohio River Basin; Coast Guard reviewing request http://bit.ly/UOMA5U
• New forecasting methods in Nebraska help officials anticipate water shortages in Republican River basin http://bit.ly/UOQPOD
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: importing water from Missouri River into Western states would be expensive and take decades http://bit.ly/UORcZB
• Op-ed: "Save the Missouri River - Build a Metroplex!" http://bit.ly/VAyu6O
• New model designed to predict climate change water supply impacts; Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado basins vulnerable http://bit.ly/V6yHCm
• Sauk City, WI plans to move buildings from historic park along Wisconsin River in order to encourage development http://bit.ly/12pC2PK

Latest U.S. Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)

Drought-

• Widespread and light precipitation over much of Midwest and Plains welcomed; but drought status remains unchanged  http://bit.ly/rak0SU
• Minnesota Public Radio: “Widespread drought affecting Minnesota's wildlife” http://bit.ly/U6fdNb
• November marked 333rd consecutive month of above-average global temperatures http://1.usa.gov/3tqQID as US remains on record hot year path
• USDA touts measures to open conservation land to emergency haying and grazing during 2012 drought http://1.usa.gov/12mP6Wa
• USDA Secretary Vilsack outlines additional federal drought response actions http://bit.ly/12mPSm2
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Drought could lead Chicago River to reverse course (again) http://bit.ly/UOO8g8
• Drought continues to expand through many key farming states within the central United States http://bit.ly/UOPJTe

Low Mississippi River Water Levels-

• Army Corps releasing water from Carlyle Lake (Kaskaskia River system, SW IL) to aid Mississippi River barge traffic  http://bit.ly/UcGXRu
• Fragile Missouri River Working Group U.S. Congressional alliance shows signs of cracking over Mississippi River's woes http://bit.ly/UOKO4y
• Army Corps of Engineers projects no ‘significant interruption in navigation’ on Mississippi River due to low water http://reut.rs/VNtVpy
• Mississippi River barge operators brace for months of restricted shipping as water levels drop and rock blasting begins http://wapo.st/VNtNGF
• Canadian shipping running fine but Mississippi cargo could be stuck before end of year by the worst drought in 50 years http://bit.ly/Sj0znN
• Politicians, Army Corps; industry representatives meet to discuss strategies for keeping Mississippi River open http://bit.ly/UOICtV
• Low water on Mississippi River causes barge companies to lighten loads http://bit.ly/UOLczX
• The Guardian (UK): Mississippi River faces shipping freeze as water levels drop http://bit.ly/UZhHxI
• U.S. Coast Guard keeping an eye on the receding Mississippi River http://bit.ly/SN6EZY
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opts to jackhammer - not dynamite - submerged Mississippi River rock obstacles http://bloom.bg/V6xIlv
• Army Corps will increase downstream Missouri River flows slightly; with no impact on near-record low Mississippi River http://bit.ly/V6xY3U

Farm Bill-

• Farm Bill hopes dim as House Speaker resists including any Farm Bill in a year-end budget/fiscal cliff deal http://bit.ly/V6w0R5
• DTN Ag Policy Blog: House leaders have "dealt with the farm bill by effectively running out the clock” http://bit.ly/UI7zGZ
• House Agriculture Committee plans to go back to the drawing board on farm bill in next Congress http://bloom.bg/UI8EP7
• USDA Secretary warns Congress that it must pick up pace of farm bill talks or face costly New year's consequences http://politi.co/12mONus
• Farm bill faces "pivotal" week as lawmakers scramble to forge a "last ditch" deal http://bit.ly/12mKIGP
• US Rice Producers Association argues that the Senate farm bill version is unfair to the South http://bit.ly/VNsuHC (PDF file)
• Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad disagrees with USDA Secretary Vilsack's characterization of rural America's declining clout http://bit.ly/VNtnzU (Here, for reference, is the original Vilsack article: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack: reason for no Farm Bill is that rural America is "becoming less and less relevant" http://nyti.ms/ST2YUf)

Agriculture -

• As in other farm belt states, Missouri farmland prices have risen to record high levels http://bit.ly/V6xElX

Forestry -

Mistletoe

• US Forest Service report projects a "sobering" future for forestlands; release: http://1.usa.gov/V6vFOs report PDF: http://1.usa.gov/V6vbYL
• Call for matching grant proposals: habitat improvement; watershed health and restoration; community-based forestry; more http://bit.ly/SN0SaH
• Study: Mistletoe is key to keeping forest life healthy and could restore injured woodlands to a healthy state http://nyti.ms/12pAwNy

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• WI Invasive Species Council seeks public comment on statewide strategic plan for invasive species; deadline Jan 14  http://1.usa.gov/VNoN4K
• Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal has become a superhighway for invasive species between watersheds http://bit.ly/12mIl6M
• NRDC: Asian carp "invasion" is a national issue that will require significant resources to be brought to bear http://bit.ly/12mIEP1
• USFWS considers adopting "Upper Mississippi River Fisheries Plan" for its Upper Mississippi River National Refuge http://bit.ly/V6zYJv

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council holds its first public meeting http://bit.ly/12mMN5n
• Oystermen: potential Mississippi and Atchafalaya river diversions may disrupt oyster harvest http://usat.ly/12mN8oW
• $5.8 million underwater dam blocking upstream flow of salt water into Mississippi River still doing job despite damage http://bit.ly/ZK8i0q

Resource Extraction -

• In Kansas, vast amounts of oil and natural gas are trapped in Mississippi Lime rock formation; portending a "boom" http://bit.ly/UXIia6
• Study highlights southern Illinois gas development issues and possible jobs http://bit.ly/UOQdZw battle lines drawn http://bit.ly/UOQjQI

Federal Budget -

• Sandy emergency-spending bill includes fishery and emergency watershed program money for areas beyond Northeastern US bit.ly/V6xcnA
• Sen. Kerry (D-MA): emergency Hurricane Sandy spending bill won’t pass without money for fisheries, including MS and AK http://bit.ly/ZlkdCS
• Fiscal-cliff talks deteriorate into dueling press conferences, as House Speaker tries to advance his "Plan B" http://bit.ly/WtOlKu
• White House delays preparations for Obama's fiscal year 2014 budget until it has better fix on fiscal cliff impacts http://politi.co/WiMTux
• After several days of significant fiscal cliff deal progress, Boehner move signals retrenchment http://wapo.st/V6xriD
• IBM Center for the Business of Government report: government wastes money by passing spending Continuing Resolutions http://bit.ly/REhtNG

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed on the on-line calendar on our Mississippi River Basin Blog page and here, as a separate calendar. 

• International Low Impact Development Symposium; River Center; St. Paul, MN; August 18-21, 2013 bit.ly/U6eRGr
• 7th International Conference on Remediation of Contaminated Sediments; 2/4/13 to 2/7/13; Dallas, TX http://bit.ly/V6v27F

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• Weekly Newsletter from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water http://bit.ly/UOHBlx
• The Horinko Group "sustainabulletin" newsletter for December 2012 is now online http://bit.ly/VNpv26
• The Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 4 http://1.usa.gov/T88tOY (PDF file) re: invasive species

Other news-

• Mississippi River Network reports that its 1 Mississippi campaign has now recruited "River Citizens" in all 50 states http://bit.ly/V6uTB0
• Mississippi River cities' mayors op-ed: Shared Lessons of Hurricane Sandy http://bit.ly/U6dhEv
• 1 Mississippi Southern Regional Intern reflects in this blog on "Why I Paddle" http://bit.ly/UEa7Gx
• US research: different communications may encourage conservatives to care more about the environment http://bit.ly/U6dXd3
• "First green street in Tennessee" in Nashville http://bit.ly/ZlhnOa, spotlights landscape’s role in renewing the City http://bit.ly/ZlhysV
• Sixth Avenue corridor could serve as environmentally sound streetscape planning model throughout Des Moines, IA http://dmreg.co/Zli2z4

Political Scene -
Republican U.S. Rep. Steve King (IA-4) looking at running for Iowa's U.S. Senate seat in 2014 http://bit.ly/VNsdVa

Last Word -

"I don't think you govern by playing chicken.  It's no way to govern." - Bob Woodward, reflecting on the state of the Federal fiscal cliff negotiations during a December 5 appearance at a Politico Playbook Breakfast event.

Superstorm Sandy Supplemental Spending Bill Slowed by Amendments Going Beyond Storm's Impact

Like too many ornaments on a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, the emergency-spending bill for Hurricane Sandy relief that the Senate is considering this week (Senate Amendment 3338 to House Resolution 1, the "Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011")  has run into the somewhat foreseeable predicament of too many amendments and too little time.  Although the storm relief measures of the supplemental appropriation bill largely have bipartisan support, criticism of those parts added to the bill that are not directly pertinent to hurricane damage relief has grown since its introduction on Monday.  Meanwhile, the Congressional (particularly the Senate) legislative clock to consider all of those additional measures continues to quickly wind down toward the end of the year.  With only a handful of days remaining on the legislative calendar before New Year's day, the Senate will effectively lose some of that legislative time as senators travel to Hawaii to attend the funeral for the late Sen. Daniel Inouye.

Republicans, in particular, are pushing to trim the bill's $60.4 billion spending total by (among other things) cutting $13 billion designed to mitigate future New York City metropolitan area flooding, eliminating funding for fisheries disaster aid and drought relief that would go to states outside of the northeast, and cutting money for the Department of Agriculture’s emergency watershed program.  Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has been particularly critical of added, non-hurricane-related funding, including that slated for wildfire mitigation, saying that while the money “is desperately needed because we’re in a severe drought, and I want that money for my state . . . it has nothing to do with Hurricane Sandy.”

Likewise, Taxpayers for Common Sense, a group that targets for elimination what it sees as wasteful government spending, has called for a more "limited and fiscally responsible" spending bill, citing several examples of what it terms "wasteful," "non-emergency funding," such as $821 million in general funds for river and harbor dredging projects nationwide, and a "$9.7 billion increase of National Flood Insurance Program borrowing authority, potentially putting the federal flood insurance program $30 billion in debt."  Taxpayers  also lists several non-spending amendments that it calls "pet projects and initiatives," which have been added to the bill, including these directly and indirectly related to water resource issues:

• "blanket authority for the Corps of Engineers to green light any project they deem 'cost-effective,' elimination of cost-overrun protections
• "provision to allow FEMA to rebuild/relocate flood-prone state facilities in 30 states affected by flooding disaster declarations since August 2011
• "a 30 page Disaster Recovery Act of 2012, which is a subset of Landrieu/Cochran bill that has not been vetted by the Senate Committee
• "a bill that would gut floodplain policy that was rejected 126-254 by the House five months ago"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) are said to be working on a deal to simplify the bill and put it on a faster Senate-debate track.  A vote on the bill may come as early as Thursday (December 20). Senate passage is expected this week, when a majority of Democrats along with several moderate Republicans are expected to vote against an amendment to the spending measure, offered by Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN), to significantly cut the bill's proposed funding levels by nearly $36 billion (eliminating or significantly reducing many of the non-storm-related provisions noted above).

Senate approval of the supplemental spending bill will precede its consideration by the even more fiscally-conservative, GOP-controlled House, where it will likely face additional opposition.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week - Early Edition

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Democratic Senate Leaders Announce 113th Congress Committee Assignments
On Wednesday (December 11) Democratic Senate leaders announced their selections for Committee assignments for the 113th Congress (subject to Democratic Caucus and full Senate approval in January). Notable from a Mississippi River Basin perspective, two incoming freshman senators from River Basin states received slots on the important Senate Agriculture Committee next year: Democratic Senators-elect Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. The makeup of the environmentally-significant Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will remain unchanged on the Democratic side in the 113th Congress, while on the Energy and Natural Resources panel, Senator-elect Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Senator-elect Mazie Hirono of Hawaii will fill two open Democratic slots.  To see a listing of each Committee, along with all anticipated Democratic committee members and chairpersons, click here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Tennessee Clean Water Network: TDEC proposes weak draft permit for Cookeville TN’s 14 million gpd sewage discharge http://bit.ly/SPSzqS
• New report focuses on Iowa water quality; but makes broader points about agriculture and environmental relationships http://nyti.ms/VzcZmU 
• Dallas County, Iowa Supervisors to decide whether to join Raccoon River watershed improvement organization http://dmreg.co/ST7fHm
• EPA releases video to "illustrate the potential impacts of nutrient pollution on recreation" http://youtu.be/WaIrLFq3DGI
• EPA's Clean Water Act Section 319 Program "success spotlight" looks at Eagle Creek, Kansas http://1.usa.gov/U354Po
• Companies sue Ameren Corp. in federal court over groundwater contamination threatening St. Charles, MO drinking water http://bit.ly/UiWkUy
• Constructed wetlands could help ease phosphorous pollution problems in sprawling Grand Lake St. Marys (western Ohio) http://bit.ly/RpadoQ
• Environmental groups allow EPA to postpone power plant water effluent guideline issuance http://bit.ly/U8bDQu

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

• Farmers gather to address fixing a rapidly crumbling Mississippi River infrastructure that is critical to farm economy http://bit.ly/UiVkzV
• Supporters want to see Bayou Bienvenue in Louisiana's Lower Ninth Ward restored to the cypress-tupelo swamp it once was http://bit.ly/YBBEPc
• Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard (Law and Policy Assessment) gives US an overall "C" efficiency grade http://bit.ly/WrcTjX
• Water Resources and Development Act draft would require Army Corps to re-think river levee tree removal mandate http://tnsne.ws/ST3qSx
• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation report includes plan to export Missouri River water to ease  depleted Colorado River demand http://nyti.ms/U2ZOv8
• Study resurrects idea of constructing 670-mile pipeline to divert water from Mississippi River tributaries to arid west http://bit.ly/ST7CBM
• Citizens' group sues MN DNR over low White Bear Lake water levels, citing DNR approval of increased water withdrawal http://bit.ly/RpaRCJ 

Drought-

Most recent Drought Monitor Map
December 11
(click to enlarge)

• Rains bring some drought relief across northern Plains and lower Mississippi basin; remainder of Plains remain parched http://bit.ly/rak0SU
• Washington Post: drought brings federal crop insurance under scrutiny  http://bit.ly/RaNEUL
• Stubborn US drought could end up being costlier than hurricane Sandy http://bit.ly/RhesTk

Low Mississippi River Levels

• NWS predicts that water levels on drought-plagued Mississippi River will keep dropping over next several weeks http://wapo.st/UDzYyn
• Army Corps decides against releasing extra Missouri River waters to help ensure Mississippi River commercial navigation http://bit.ly/SSX4m4
• Financial Times (UK): Low Mississippi River water levels threaten US farm goods http://on.ft.com/SPPCGK
• Dropping Mississippi River levels temporarily stabilize but should be too low for barge traffic within 7 to 10 days http://bit.ly/SPQH1u
• Shippers brace for January closure of 200-mile Mississippi River stretch that could bring most commerce to standstill http://usat.ly/U30sbP
• Army Corps explosion of barge-impeding rock pinnacles in middle Mississippi River could begin as early as next week http://wapo.st/RoRzgS
• Sandbars no one can remember seeing above water now visible on the Mississippi River south of St. Louis http://bloom.bg/TVlLOP

Farm Bill-

• With time running out, House and Senate farm bill leaders are still far apart on a deal after a Wednesday meeting http://bit.ly/UDyzaY
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition lists key items that should be in a “minimally acceptable (farm bill) deal” http://bit.ly/UDyV1p
• Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA):  farm bill "talks going on between the House and Senate on some sort of a compromise" http://bit.ly/RoQSUF
• Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack: reason for no Farm Bill is that rural America is "becoming less and less relevant" http://nyti.ms/ST2YUf
• Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL): "Farm Bill will be included in whatever package is negotiated relative to the fiscal cliff" http://bit.ly/ST5Pgb
• Libertarian and environmental groups unite against five-year farm bill as fiscal cliff package attachment http://bit.ly/ST1rxJ
• Environmental Working Group: "Congress could easily make (farm bill) changes that would save $100 billion or more" http://bit.ly/U6XtPC
• Op-ed: Farm Bill's conservation programs could benefit us all http://bit.ly/VvHJFq
• Op-ed: Farm bill shortcomings must be corrected by providing for conservation compliance http://bit.ly/SLN3ps

Agriculture -

• Senators-elect Heitkamp (ND) http://bit.ly/UDzc4c and Donnely (IN) http://bit.ly/UDzdp4 newly appointed to Senate Agriculture Committee
• Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack: "it’s essential to understand that voluntary conservation does make a difference" http://dmreg.co/ST6f6e
• From Iowa State Extension: "Farmland Value Reaches Historic $8,296 Statewide Average" http://goo.gl/qqdGi
• Bunge CEO: Major agricultural exporters need to urgently upgrade road, rail and waterways transport networks http://reut.rs/UDAigk

In the States -

• Minnesota developing strategy to achieve and track measurable point and nonpoint nutrient loss reduction progress http://bit.ly/RpeJDU
• EWG's "Murky waters" report criticizes Iowa's proposed pollution plan; American Farm Bureau disagrees with conclusions http://bit.ly/TUokl4
• Environmental Working Group's "Murky Waters" examines Iowa's water quality and rates it mostly "poor" or "very poor" http://bit.ly/SSWNj5
• Environmental Working Group report: Streams haven't improved in Iowa; Voluntary state plan to cut runoff falls short http://dmreg.co/ST6JsY

Forestry -

• Research: Increasing death rate of oldest trees increasing fast across forests worldwide regardless of latitude http://nyti.ms/XJzImg
• Illinois Christmas tree farm is run free of chemical insecticides, herbicides or fertilizers http://bit.ly/Vx0RCs
• American Chestnut Foundation believes it's developed potential blight-resistant tree to repopulate forests in 19 states http://bit.ly/ST896I
• Wisconsin agroforester sees planting fruit and nut trees and other perennials as a key to sustainable food systems http://bit.ly/Rp9vIb

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Two state wildlife management areas in southeast Nebraska along Missouri River reopen to public access http://bit.ly/SPRmQg
• MN Department of Natural Resources proposes adding 114 native plants and 67 animals to state endangered species list http://bit.ly/RnlE0g
• Restored Minnesota prairie offsets carbon produced by flights to Greece for summer program's 30 students; 4 faculty bit.ly/Rp8Ia1
• University of Wisconsin scientists study how mixing lake water could eliminate an invasive fish (smelt) http://bit.ly/ZkJz2x

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to hold its first public meeting; Mobile, Alabama; December 11 http://bit.ly/ST3MZx
• Louisiana coastal restoration consultant criticized for failing to disclose an industry board membership http://bit.ly/ST7qT8
• National Hurricane Center to adopt new storm surge map, warning system over the next three years http://bit.ly/U338Gw
• Those who live and work in the Gulf of Mexico region wary of uncertain restoration path ahead after oil spill http://bit.ly/UiSniI

Resource Extraction -

• Interior Department no longer plans to finalize oil-and-gas development hydraulic fracturing rules this year http://bit.ly/UAbENI
• Mining industry takes notice of Starved Rock State Park, IL rock formations containing very high quality frac sand http://huff.to/UiRCGp

Federal Budget -

• Boehner and Obama no closer to fiscal cliff deal after exchange of latest offers http://bit.ly/SiMuXs
• Budget negotiations between White House; GOP House Speaker progress steadily under strict public comment moratorium http://on.wsj.com/ST5B8L
• Sides seem to be edging toward deal in deficit-reduction negotiations; will likely wait till last minute to resolve http://bit.ly/U6YozK

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed on the on-line calendar on the Blog page and here 

• 2013 is planned to be the "Year of Cycling" along the Mississippi River Trail from Lake Itasca to New Orleans http://bit.ly/U8ec52
• Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge begin youth program in Thomson, IL (first Saturday of each month) http://bit.ly/U37365
• Mississippi River Research Consortium; April 24-26, 2013; La Crosse, WI; First call for papers-upper right hand corner: http://bit.ly/erwZ7V
• 13th Annual St. Louis Earth Day Symposium (March 2013) deadline for presentation submissions: December 15 http://bit.ly/SSZvoW
• Conference on Students as Catalysts for Large Landscape Conservation; March 1, 2013; Waterville, Maine http://bit.ly/ST19XC
• Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to hold its first public meeting; Mobile, Alabama; December 11 http://bit.ly/ST3MZx
• Save the date: Mississippi River Collaborative Conference March 19-21, Louisville, KY; More details will follow http://bit.ly/aw24aR
• MN Pollution Control Agency informational meeting on draft Construction Stormwater Permit; 12/17 in St. Paul http://bit.ly/U3jeQw
• Three Spring 2013 Missouri River events in Yankton, SD area to focus on invasive species; clean-up; watershed education http://bit.ly/Uxoeev
• Midwest-Great Lakes Society for Ecological Restoration Chapter Meeting; Wooster, Ohio, April 12-14, 2013 http://bit.ly/RpdmVN
• Registration open for Wisconsin Wetlands Association's Annual Conference; February 12-14, 2013; Sheboygan, Wisconsin http://bit.ly/U8aWXA

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• EPA Weekly Newsletter from the Office of Water: "Water Headlines" http://bit.ly/U35uoM
• December’s "1 Mississippi" newsletter from the Mississippi River Network http://bit.ly/UDw8oZ

Other news-

"Petrochemical Landscape" along Lower Mississippi River
(click to enlarge - article link at left)

• Petrochemical America book focus is 150-mile Mississippi River stretch and its large petrochemical plant concentration http://bit.ly/UiTMFX
• Congressional Research Service report finds fault in bills that would enact new coal ash waste disposal standards http://bit.ly/SSYDQU
• Obama Administration may soften proposed crackdown on coal ash disposal http://onforb.es/U3m87C
• Indiana manufacturing groups say that EPA existing and proposed regulations are costly and 'dampen growth' http://bit.ly/U33Y61
• America’s Health Rankings–2012 ranks Lower Mississippi and Ohio River valley states on low end of health spectrum http://bit.ly/RnnJcG
• US National Intelligence Council publishes Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds-covers water resource availability http://bit.ly/U6WnDw
• NOAA administrator to step down http://huff.to/Xcvcb5
• EPA releases "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change" with "long-term goals" and "actions" http://1.usa.gov/Hw4u4p

Political Scene -

• In last outstanding U.S. House race Rep. Boustany Jr. (R-LA-3) defeated fellow Republican Rep. Landry in a runoff http://bit.ly/SSYexS
• Senate Committee Assignments For 113th Congress Approved By Democratic Steering Committee http://1.usa.gov/UC8klh

Last Word -

"I think if we were in charge of the Senate and of the administration, that we would have a budget deal by now. And what I find is, with all due deference to our male colleagues, that women's styles tend to be more collaborative." -  Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) - one of 20 women U.S. Senators in the 113th Congress - in a December 11 interview with "ABC World News" anchor Diane Sawyer (to be broadcast on January 3).

Democratic Senate Leaders Announce 113th Congress Committee Assignments

On Wednesday (December 11) Democratic Senate leaders announced their selections for Committee assignments for the 113th Congress (subject to Democratic Caucus and full Senate approval in January). Notable from a Mississippi River Basin perspective, two freshman senators from River Basin states received slots on the Senate Agriculture Committee next year: Democratic Senators-elect Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. The makeup of the environmentally-significant Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will remain unchanged on the Democratic side in the 113th Congress, while on the Energy and Natural Resources panel, Senator-elect Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Senator-elect Mazie Hirono of Hawaii will fill two Democratic open slots.

Six Senators will preside as newly-appointed Committee Chairpersons beginning in January. They are Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Indian Affairs; Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Budget Committee; Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), Aging; Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Veterans' Affairs; and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Each Committee is listed below, with anticipated committee member names presented in alphabetical order, following the Chair, and new committee members indicated in italics (the new Chairpersons are indicated with an italicized "Chair" designation).

AGRICULTURE – 113th Congress

• Stabenow – Chair
• Baucus
• Bennet
• Sherrod Brown
• Casey
• Donnelly
• Gillibrand
• Harkin
• Heitkamp
• Klobuchar
• Leahy

AGING – 113th

• Bill Nelson – Chair
• Baldwin
• Blumenthal
• Casey
• Donnelly
• Gillibrand
• Manchin
• McCaskill
• Warren
• Whitehouse
• Wyden

APPROPRIATIONS – 113th

• Inouye – Chair
• Durbin
• Feinstein
• Harkin
• Tim Johnson
• Landrieu
• Lautenberg
• Leahy
• Merkley
• Mikulski
• Murray
• Pryor
• Reed
• Shaheen
• T. Udall
• Tester

ARMED SERVICES – 113th

• Levin – Chair
• Begich
• Blumenthal
• Donnelly
• Gillibrand
• Hagan
• Kaine
• King
• Manchin
• Bill Nelson
• McCaskill
• Reed
• Shaheen
• Mark Udall

BANKING – 113th

• Tim Johnson – Chair
• Sherrod Brown
• Hagan
• Heitkamp
• Manchin
• Menendez
• Merkley
• Reed
• Schumer
• Tester
• Warner
• Warren

BUDGET – 113th

• Murray – Chair
• Baldwin
• Coons
• Kaine
• King
• Merkley
• Bill Nelson
• Sanders
• Stabenow
• Warner
• Whitehouse
• Wyden

COMMERCE – 113th

• Rockefeller – Chair
• Begich
• Blumenthal
• Boxer
• Cantwell
• Inouye
• Kerry
• Klobuchar
• Lautenberg
• McCaskill
• Pryor
• Bill Nelson
• Warner

ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES– 113th

• Wyden – Chair
• Cantwell
• Coons
• Franken
• Heinrich
• Hirono
• Tim Johnson
• Landrieu
• Manchin
• Mark Udall
• Sanders
• Stabenow

ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS – 113th

• Boxer – Chair
• Baucus
• Cardin
• Carper
• Gillibrand
• Lautenberg
• Merkley
• Sanders
• Tom Udall
• Whitehouse

ETHICS – 113th

• Boxer – Chair
• Sherrod Brown
• Pryor

FINANCE – 113th

• Baucus – Chair
• Bennet
• Sherrod Brown
• Cantwell
• Cardin
• Carper
• Kerry
• Menendez
• Bill Nelson
• Rockefeller
• Schumer
• Stabenow
• Wyden

FOREIGN RELATIONS – 113th

• Kerry – Chair
• Boxer
• Cardin
• Casey
• Coons
• Kaine
• Menendez
• Murphy
• Shaheen
• Tom Udall

HELP – 113th

• Harkin – Chair
• Baldwin
• Bennet
• Casey
• Franken
• Hagan
• Mikulski
• Murphy
• Murray
• Sanders
• Warren
• Whitehouse

HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS – 113th

• Carper – Chair
• Baldwin
• Begich
• Heitkamp
• Landrieu
• Levin
• McCaskill
• Pryor
• Tester

INDIAN AFFAIRS – 113th

• Cantwell –Chair
• Begich
• Franken
• Heitkamp
• Tim Johnson
• Inouye
• Tester
• Tom Udall

INTELLIGENCE – 113th

• Feinstein – Chair
• Heinrich
• King
• Mikulski
• Rockefeller
• Mark Udall
• Warner
• Wyden

JOINT ECONOMIC – 113th

• Casey – Chair
• Klobuchar
• Murphy
• Sanders
• Warner
• Heinrich

JUDICIARY – 113th

• Leahy – Chair
• Blumenthal
• Coons
• Durbin
• Feinstein
• Franken
• Hirono
• Klobuchar
• Schumer
• Whitehouse

RULES – 113th

• Schumer – Chair
• Durbin
• Feinstein
• Inouye
• King
• Leahy
• Murray
• Pryor
• Tom Udall
• Warner

SMALL BUSINESS – 113th

• Landrieu – Chair
• Cantwell
• Cardin
• Hagan
• Harkin
• Heitkamp
• Kerry
• Levin
• Pryor
• Shaheen

VETERANS’ AFFAIRS – 113th

• Sanders – Chair
• Begich
• Blumenthal
• Sherrod Brown
• Hirono
• Murray
• Rockefeller
• Tester

 Source: http://1.usa.gov/UC8klh

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week - Early Edition

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Mississippi River Basin Events Calendar Launched
The Northeast-Midwest Institute's Mississippi River Basin Blog has launched an on-line "Mississippi River Basin Events Calendar," which will list information on upcoming meetings, workshops, webinars, briefings, conferences and other events that might be of interest to those with a stake in the sustainable economy and environment of the River Basin.  The calendar (link here and also placed at the top of our Blog page) will be routinely updated with events that are also listed weekly in the Blog's "Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week." Calendar information will include the event name, location and dates, as well as a link to follow for additional event information. If you or your organization have an appropriate event that you would like to have listed on the calendar, please contact your FNB with the relevant details.

Congressional Leaders Announce 2013 Legislative Calendars

House 2013 Calendar
(click to enlarge)

Congressional leaders announced legislative calendars earlier this week for 2013 that (unlike recent years) match each other quite closely.  In fact through the first ten months of 2013, they match each other exactly.  The first day of the Congressional 2013 session will be Thursday, January 3, as required by the Constitution. Scheduled recesses in both chambers of Congress will fall on the weeks of February 18 (beginning on Presidents Day), March 25, April 5 (including both Passover and Easter), April 29, May 27 (beginning on Memorial Day), July 1 (including Independence Day), and October 14 (starting on Columbus Day).  The summer recesses for both the House and Senate will begin on August 5 and last five weeks until the Monday (September 9) following Labor Day.  For a full listing of scheduled recesses, and days in session for 2013, here are links to the respective House and Senate calendars.

Republicans and Democrats Complete Appointments of 113th Congress House Committee Leaders
Republicans and Democrats have, for the most part, completed the task of assigning top House committee leadership rolls for the 113th Congress that begins on January 3.   Eight of the 42 total committee leadership slots (or 19%) will be filled by House members who represent districts falling within the Mississippi River Basin, including the returning chairmen of five committees: Agriculture (Frank D. Lucas (R-OK-3)), Appropriations (Harold Rogers (R-KY-5)), Budget (Paul D. Ryan (R-WI-1)), Education and the Workforce (John Kline (R-MN-2)), and Small Business (Sam Graves (R-MO-6)).  On the Democratic side, the ranking members of three committees represent districts within the Basin: Agriculture (Colin Peterson (D-MN-7)), Homeland Security (Bennie Thompson (D-MS-2)), and Transportation and Infrastructure (Nick Rahall II (D-WV-3)).  For the most recently updated list of each House committee, its 113th Congress chairpersons and ranking members, and an accompanying link to each committee's Internet home page, see here.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  
Water Quality -

• Missouri Coalition for the Environment: state has failed to care for its surface waters; asks for USEPA intervention http://bit.ly/YHjxGu
• Iowa's water pollution control plan "could prove costly" http://bit.ly/11sHalL
• Acid mine pollution and related heavy metals found in Letcher County, Kentucky streams http://bit.ly/TGXRnX

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

• In wetlands case, U.S. Court of Appeals upholds Army Corps permit for Kansas railroad facility construction http://bit.ly/VaSPzr
• Supreme Court rules US government not exempt from damages for water release from Clearwater Lake (Black River in MO) http://trib.in/YBbmN3
• Supreme Court rules against government in flooding case; saying flooding constituted a "taking" http://usat.ly/SAfren
• U.S. Solicitor General recommends that U.S. Supreme Court hear a Red River (Oklahoma) water compact lawsuit http://bit.ly/11sy0Wl
• German American Water Technology Initiative focuses on Great Lakes, Mississippi & Missouri rivers, Ogallala Aquifer http://bit.ly/TzAT1q
• Western Governors' Association report offers a set of interbasin water transfer policy considerations http://bit.ly/R7OP7k (covers much of the western half of the Mississippi River Basin)
• Importing water from Missouri River to semi-arid Colorado emerges as an option western states are considering http://bit.ly/RC6yDO

Drought-

Latest Available Drought Monitor Map
(Click to Enlarge)

• Past week: Areas of dryness and drought remained unchanged for most of Plains and Mississippi River Valley http://bit.ly/rak0SU (NOAA)
• Tenacious U.S. drought worsens, and is expected to last through the winter http://bit.ly/UemYPv
• Iowa State U Extension: unlikely that subsoil moisture will be fully replenished by beginning of 2013 planting season http://bit.ly/Vx1nGO
• National Drought Mitigation Center at University of Nebraska-Lincoln functions to reduce vulnerability to drought. http://bit.ly/TzA3C7
• Drought shifts Mississippi River region from a "Waterworld to water wars" bit.ly/11sG89r
• Iowa water deficit will last to spring; utilities may have to implement or increase conservation http://dmreg.co/U6ly7p

Low Mississippi River Levels

• Chances good that Mississippi River at St. Louis will fall beneath its record low set 72 years ago http://bit.ly/VaN6cW
• Army Corps of Engineers moves forward with plan to demolish Mississippi River rock formations using dynamite http://bloom.bg/R7NtJT
• Water Wars Pit Dakotas Against Barges for Missouri Flow http://bloom.bg/UG7AOi
• More groups ask President Obama to act on low Mississippi River water levels http://bit.ly/UG7INy
• America's main aquatic artery - the Mississippi River - may soon be too shallow for barge shipping -- that may choke trade but benefit wildlife http://bit.ly/QlGVFZ
• Mississippi River may hit record low, halt traffic in December http://on.wkyc.com/U6l697
• Water fight: Drought, farming, fracking and the Midwest's tense shipping situation http://bit.ly/YBkQI3
• Barge industry: Mississippi River traffic will stall even if Army Corps decides to release more Missouri River water http://bloom.bg/QBDSt6
• American Waterways Operators estimates that low Mississippi River and possible barge traffic halting threatens 20,000 jobs http://bit.ly/11sHWzj
• Montana Governor asks White House to reject calls for more water releases from Missouri River reservoirs http://bit.ly/U6luo4
• South Dakota’s congressional delegation urges President to deny recent requests to aid Mississippi River navigation http://bit.ly/QBEcbA
• NPR: Water levels dangerously low on the Mississippi River http://n.pr/VaMJPF
• River industry: Army Corps' anti-drought efforts hurt Mississippi River commerce http://bit.ly/U6leFQ
• Mississippi River is feeling effects of scarce rainfall, making it harder to transport goods up and down river http://bit.ly/Uz5ujb

Farm Bill-

• NSAC Blog: “Path to the 2012 Farm Bill: Is a Deal Possible and What Would A Good Deal Look Like?” http://bit.ly/SAaYbs
• R Street Institute: possible deal to address fiscal cliff that includes farm bill is "wrong vehicle" to pass farm bill http://bit.ly/TzDFUB
• USDA Secretary: House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders agree on need to get 5-year farm bill through Congress http://bit.ly/TzEvkb
• $300 billion from mandatory spending cuts in Republican fiscal cliff counteroffer includes farm subsidies http://bit.ly/TzF2CE
• White House and House Republicans hold surprisingly similar goals about farm bill cuts to include in fiscal cliff deal http://reut.rs/R4LSEF
• House and Senate farm bill leaders meet amid signs of progress over commodity title differences http://bit.ly/R7Q6v4
• House and Senate agriculture leaders may be working out their two farm bills' differences behind the scenes http://bit.ly/R7Ql9r
• Senate Agriculture Committee Chair says she will consider higher food stamp program cuts to get farm bill passed http://wapo.st/SAayBU

Agriculture -

• NPR op-ed: "Something strange"- corn farms intentionally create "a biological desert to produce food for one species: us" http://n.pr/Tr7TZH
• National Wildlife Federation releases its Roadmap to Increased Cover Crop Adoption http://bit.ly/VaInIm
• DuPont breaks ground on large cellulosic biorefinery in Iowa (will be world's largest) http://bit.ly/SuNxBI
• You've heard of peak oil—Are we heading toward "peak fertilizer?" http://bit.ly/Y6oUQd
• Op-ed on "Agriculture and conservation" questions merits of "petro/chemical/industrial model of agriculture" http://bit.ly/11sLdyF
• USDA Economic Research Service: “Economic and Financial Conditions Bode Well for U.S. Agriculture” http://1.usa.gov/TzFbpH
• House Agriculture Committee Chairman announces new Republican Members to serve on the Committee in the 113th Congress http://bit.ly/SAadPy

In the States -

• Minnesota is taking a closer look at its environmental problems, issues and laws in the coming weeks http://bit.ly/YyLLCZ

Forestry -

• Even if Minnesota's drought ended soon, the past two dry summers may have already cut future Christmas tree yields http://bit.ly/11GEQXJ

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• A low Mississippi River means large fish catches (both size and numbers of fish) for anglers http://bit.ly/TzHrNK
• Sen. Brown introduces bill to fight Asian carp Ohio River Basin invasion http://bit.ly/VaRit3 -House bill companion: http://1.usa.gov/VaRDfB
• Interior Department initiates process leading toward possible Endangered Species Act protection for the lesser prairie chicken http://bit.ly/VaS3Cq
• New green group push to block bill provision that would ban EPA from regulating lead in ammunition and fishing tackle http://bit.ly/SA9ptZ

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Louisiana lining up major coastal restoration projects to undertake with millions in BP oil spill fine money http://bit.ly/U6t8Pn
• USDA has committed more than $0.5 billion to Gulf coastal region recovery since 2010; nearly 20% related to BP spill http://bit.ly/YBgX5Y

Resource Extraction -

Frac Sand Mining Locations
(Click to Enlarge)

• Mining for fracking sand creates wealth and friction across western Wisconsin and southern Minnesota; article: http://bit.ly/11Gz2gO (map: http://bit.ly/11GySpE)
• For many a possibly reclaimed 64-acre mine would disrupt tranquility of nearby St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (MN) http://bit.ly/11GAzDE
• University of Tennessee plans to hydrofrac for natural gas in its won research forest; and then study the environmental impacts http://bit.ly/11GCc41

Federal Budget -

• Fiscal cliff talks still in the dark, with private, closed-door meetings the rule http://politi.co/SA8s4Q
• House Republican leaders make counteroffer to President Obama in fiscal cliff negotiations http://bit.ly/11sFoRQ

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed on the on-line calendar embedded within our Blog page and as a separate calendar here

• Minnesota Erosion Control Association Conference; March 5-7, 2013 http://bit.ly/QBARcy St. Cloud
• "Turtles: Secrets of the Shell" due to open in Spring 2013 at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium http://bit.ly/Tzz7O7
• Registration for NOAA's Coastal GeoTools 2013 is open; March 25-28 2013, Myrtle Beach, SC  http://1.usa.gov/bMR2IC
• Assoc for Environmental Studies and Sciences Annual Meeting-"Linking Rural and Urban Societies and Ecologies" June 2013 http://bit.ly/QFfC9w
• State Nutrient Reduction Strategies Webinar: Implementing the 4Rs: Engagement, Resources and Examples; Dec. 12 http://1.usa.gov/KTrMcU

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign's December 6 issue of Delta Dispatches bit.ly/RaEtUn

Other news-

• EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division updates its Citizens Guides to Innovative Cleanup Technologies http://bit.ly/QBC4QU
• The global water crisis – caused by drought, flood and climate change – is less about supply than poor planning http://bit.ly/11GHYma
• Literature research demonstrates minimal scientific uncertainty over climate change http://bit.ly/TzyOmh
• USDA's National Agricultural Library's Special Collections houses rare agriculture-related books, manuscript collections, etc. http://1.usa.gov/TzIhtX
• Obama administration America's Great Outdoors Initiative progress report http://1.usa.gov/R7M99G (report PDF: http://1.usa.gov/R7LXHC)
• U of WI's new on-line site compiles research, education and outreach activities related to water and water resources http://bit.ly/THRH97

Political Scene -

• Louisiana GOP Reps. Charles Boustany Jr. and Jeff Landry meet in Saturday runoff for the LA 3rd district US House seat http://bit.ly/SA8Sbr
• Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO-8) retiring from US House in February to run the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association http://wapo.st/VgA7WK
• Emerson resignation sets off "scramble" in Missouri for soon to be vacant 8th district House seat-very safe GOP turf http://bit.ly/TzC0hM
• South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) plans run for U.S. Senate in 2014, taking on Sen. Tim Johnson (D) http://bit.ly/VaKSKK
• Congressional leaders announce 2013 legislative calendars; Senate and House calendars match through first 10 months http://bit.ly/VaQiVW
• Speaker adds woman to House committee chair ranks: Rep. Miller (R-MI) to chair House Administration Committee http://bit.ly/QBBiDz
• Rep. Huelskamp (R-KS-1) loses seats on House Agriculture Committee and Budget Committee; he calls move "vindictive" http://bit.ly/TzCMeD
• At least seven well-known Democrats will run in 2013 special primary for former Rep. Jackson’s Illinois U.S House seat http://bit.ly/TzCi8j
• Actress Ashley Judd is seriously exploring a 2014 run against U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in Kentucky http://politi.co/UcGYzR

Last Word

Organisms found in an Iowa cornfield:
an ant, one mushroom, a cobweb
spider, a half eaten crane fly,  a red mite  
and some grasshoppers.

"I listened and heard nothing, no bird, no click of insect.  It felt like another planet entirely."  - Craig Childs, National Public Radio commentator and science writer, speaking of his experience while spending two nights and three days this past summer in the middle of a 600-acre corn farm in Grundy County, Iowa.