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Congressional members will be in recess next week, but look for some significant Mississippi River Basin-related legislative activity to happen in the two weeks following their return to Capitol Hill. The Senate is expected to begin debate on the Water Resources Development Act that passed out of its Environment and Public Works Committee as soon as members return from next week's recess, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Reid also has committed to completing work on a Senate version of the Farm Bill in May. On the House side, Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK) has said that "May 15 is a go" for his Committee’s markup of the Farm Bill (see article links, below).
Flooding
Instead of linking below (under "Water Resource Management") to the very many news articles published this past week on Mississippi River Basin flooding , you can follow this link to see a news summary (updated periodically). And for real-time river stage, and flood reporting and forecasting information from the National Weather Service, check out these on-line resources:
- National river observations map
- National river forecasts map
- Significant River Flood Outlook tool
- Upper Midwest flood forecast map
- "Quick look" overview of river flooding across central and southeastern Illinois
Water Quality -
- USEPA plans to "align" two long-awaited rules on coal-fired power plant ash and electrical generation water pollution http://ow.ly/kiBPd
- Appeals Court strikes down Army Corps nationwide permit allowing valley filling of mining waste into US streams http://ow.ly/kjfhi
- Court upholds agreement between U.S. EPA and environmental groups on new wastewater standards at power plants http://ow.ly/kn5eh
- Appeals Court rules USEPA had the Clean Water Act authority to retroactively veto Army Corps' permit for coal mine http://ow.ly/kn5xn and http://ow.ly/kn8o7
- Federal appeals court backs Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate mountaintop removal mining http://ow.ly/kntMO
- More articles on federal appeals court ruling re: EPA veto of West Virginia mountaintop-removal mining permit here: ow.ly/knuq3
- Clean up set for superfund site threatening Opossum Creek, a tributary of the Great Miami River (Ohio River basin) http://ow.ly/knjZz
- 105 million gallons per day of raw sewage run directly into Mississippi River as two large St. Louis lift pumps fail http://ow.ly/knrSv
- Concerns grow about endocrine disruptors in Wisconsin lakes, streams and groundwater http://ow.ly/knsEH
- EPA: Many artificial ponds for storing coal mining sludge have dangerously weak walls because of poor construction ow.ly/kpKmk
- GOP senators skeptical at hearing about drones USEPA used to search for pollution and survey animal feedlots ow.ly/kpJld
- Senate expected to begin debate on Water Resources Development Act as soon as members return from next week's recess http://ow.ly/krY7Z
- Senate Environment and Public Works Chair: Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) to get Senate floor time in early May http://ow.ly/kn8TI
- Two key Senate Democrats press Boxer to 'strike or revise' WRDA streamlining language ow.ly/kpwGq
- Supporters hope to add Sen. Casey's RIVER Act as amendment to Water Resources Development Act when it comes to floor http://ow.ly/ki8Ci
- Archived webinar: National Academies' Levees and National Flood Insurance Program: Improving Policies and Practices http://ow.ly/kibzR
- FEMA solicits input on flood hazard mapping, risk assessment tools and Hazard Mitigation Planning; deadline April 30 http://ow.ly/kic8v
- Op-ed by president of the Reinsurance Association of America: "How Can Government Help Prepare for Mother Nature?" http://ow.ly/kn65D
- Desirability of Mississippi River view has trumped permanent flood protection in some communities north of St. Louis http://ow.ly/kneFV
- Supreme Court dives into fight over Texas' right to draw water from Oklahoma under 1980 interstate compact http://ow.ly/kntk0
- For the second time in less than a week, a Mississippi River bridge has been struck by a barge ow.ly/kqvxg
- Lewis & Clark Regional Water System considers how to complete Missouri River-sourced water project with less funding http://ow.ly/krTZI
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): Senate will take up five-year farm bill in May http://ow.ly/krSmE
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) commits to completing work on farm bill in May http://ow.ly/krYn7
- House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK): “May 15 is a go" for Committee markup of Farm Bill ow.ly/kpAR8
- New Ranking Senate Agriculture Committee Republican Cochran (MS) could be wild card in writing new farm bill http://ow.ly/kiif7
- Izaak Walton League, SD conservation, agriculture leaders to discuss linking federal farm payments and conservation http://ow.ly/kn9oT
- USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service may fund repair of conservation practice damage from rains and flooding http://ow.ly/knbwY
- Energy Department to invest over $10.5 million in two Iowa companies to spur advanced biofuels development http://ow.ly/knkCd
- Sens. Begich, Stabenow, Coons, Heitkamp, Johnson, Pryor and Tester participating in Democrats' 2nd Rural Summit today ow.ly/kpCmk
- Bipartisan groups of senators introduce "Sodsaver Prairie Protection Act" aimed at protecting native prairies ow.ly/kpEMF
- Bipartisan, bicameral "Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act" introduced in U.S. Senate and House http://ow.ly/krSMA
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- U.S. Drought Monitor: moderate to exceptional drought covers 47.3% of contiguous U.S. http://ow.ly/krTqC
- NOAA/NWS/NCEP/Climate Prediction Center drought details here: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
- Iowa drought eases; summer forecast is still dicey http://ow.ly/krTMX
- Kentucky drafting statewide plan to control pollution causing algae blooms and Gulf's oxygen-depleted "dead zone" http://ow.ly/kiAOm
- Arkansas oil spill probe falls to understaffed agency with close industry ties http://ow.ly/kiDb0
- USDA Radio News - "Don't let unwanted invasives become evasive" ow.ly/klT7p
- Study: Mountaintop removal has frequently-overlooked impacts on forests, biodiversity, climate and public health http://ow.ly/kiA1M
- National Commission on the Health Impacts of Mountaintop Removal Mining report recommends moratorium on new mining http://ow.ly/kn72t
- EPA on the State Department’s draft review of proposed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline route: “"insufficient" ow.ly/kkB1s
- Illinois state fracking bill that had broad political, industry, environmental, labor buy-in is stalled in committee http://ow.ly/kn7wK
- Prospect of a spring Federal budget deal in Congress seem as equally elusive as was the gun legislation http://ow.ly/kim3i
- White House supports Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s proposal to "turn off" the sequester ow.ly/kpLIW
- May 6 RFF Seminar: Responding to Ecological Loss: The Promise and Limits of Ingenuity http://ow.ly/kicFD (attend in person in Washington, DC or on-line)
- Garlic Mustard (Invasive Species) "pull" - May 18 Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin and Hopper Lakes (IL) http://ow.ly/kn4G8
- Free EPA Webinar re: forthcoming national stormwater regulations; April 30; 1:00 - 2:30 pm EDT ow.ly/kpNQP
- Free State Level Nutrient Reduction Strategies Webinar: What Drives Successful Nutrient Reduction? May 1; 11 AM EDT ow.ly/kpMQw
- Annual Grassland Restoration Network Workshop; Columbia, Missouri; July 16-18 ow.ly/kpH60
- USDA NRCS May 7 webinar: Exploring the Environmental and Economic Opportunities and Challenges of Cover Crops http://ow.ly/krQLr
- Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's April 23 and archived WaterWays e-newsletter links here: ow.ly/klTzd
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's River Connections for April 2013 ow.ly/klTkD
- The Horinko Group's monthly "Sustainabulletin" e-newsletter ow.ly/klSIH including a look at the Mississippi barge industry
- Weekly "Water Headlines" Newsletter from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water ow.ly/klSkH
- American Farmland Trust April E-Newsletter http://ow.ly/krQrS
- Across Kentucky, Indiana and beyond, religious groups seek to model earth-friendly land uses http://ow.ly/kiCNW
- As CO2 concentrations near portentous 400 parts per million level, daily updates begin on Scripps Institution website http://ow.ly/kncBW
- Rep. Luetkemeyer (R-MO), colleagues seek Missouri, Mississippi river economic corridor designations to boost trade ow.ly/kqvSs
- International River Symposium's River Management Young Achievers Award - Applications Due July 5 ow.ly/kpHNF
- 2012 Namekagon Paddle and the St. Croix River Association are highlighted in American Profile magazine http://ow.ly/krPLX
- MN DNR invites public input on Minnesota River State Trail master plan – Franklin to Le Sueur http://ow.ly/krUon
- Further evidence of never-ending federal election cycle: in western MN GOP makes Rep. Collin Peterson an early target ow.ly/kij0P
- US Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) to retire rather than seek re-election in 2014 ow.ly/klRK8
- Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D) considering a run for retiring Sen. Max Baucus's (D-MT) seat ow.ly/klS5l
- Iowa Lieutenant Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) won't make a bid to become the state's first female U.S. senator http://ow.ly/knq6r
- NY Times: "Slow Start on Environment in Second Obama Term" ow.ly/kpIpQ
- After three weeks on campaign trail Sona Mehring (D) decides she will not challenge Rep. John Kline (R-MN) in 2014 ow.ly/kpA3z
"The graveyards are full of indispensable men." - often attributed to the French general Charles de Gaulle
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