Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program Authorized by State Legislature

The Minnesota State Legislature passed and Governor Mark Dayton has signed HF 976, an Omnibus Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Act, which, among other things, authorizes and funds the state’s new agricultural water quality certification program (also sometimes referred to as an “agriculture certainty program”). The purpose of the water quality certification program is to increase the voluntary implementation of agricultural conservation practices that then should result in water quality improvements in streams and lakes receiving runoff from enrolled farmland. The first-in-the-nation program is a piece of a wider federal strategy that would effectively give farmers "certainty" with respect to water quality regulations if they voluntarily choose to put land conservation practices in place for the benefit of improved water quality. Agricultural producers who implement a significant degree of conservation practices to reduce nutrient run-off and erosion would receive assurance (or "certainty") from Minnesota that their farms will meet the state's water quality standards and goals throughout the duration of the certainty agreement.

A Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Feedlot Update newsletter released on May 31 stated: “The 2013 Legislature has adopted authorizing language and funded the Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program. The goal of the new state and federal partnership is to enhance Minnesota’s water quality by accelerating the voluntary adoption of on-farm conservation practices. The program is being administered by the Dept. of Agriculture. Operational measures are being developed, and four watersheds are being identified for pilot projects.”

The program resulted from a state-federal collaborative effort among MPCA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Minnesota's Department of Agriculture, Board of Water and Soil Resources, and Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

EPA and USDA have been exploring a variety of certainty mechanisms in conjunction with several states for some time, and the Minnesota certainty initiative could be viewed as one component of the Obama Administration's draft action plan to address the challenges facing ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources, announced by the Administration and reported on here in January 2012. Among other goals, that action plan calls for the "development of State regulatory certainty programs for reducing nutrient and sediment loads that will accelerate the adoption of voluntary conservation efforts" by 2013.   USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and launching of the Minnesota initiative in January 2012.

Here is a link to the bill’s legislative page, where the text of the House- and Senate-passed bill can be accessed. The actual enacted language will be made available online later in the summer.

Brad Redlin, Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program Manager, can be contacted for additional program information (telephone: 651-201-6489; brad.redlin@state.mn.us).

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Next Week on Capitol Hill
Following a week off for the Memorial Day recess, the U.S. Senate is scheduled to resume its Senate floor Farm Bill consideration on Monday, with Senate leaders trying to forge a so-called time agreement in order to wrap up the legislation by the end of the week (and move on to take up immigration legislation).  Here is a link to a more complete farm bill update, and here a link to a listing of the other activities currently scheduled for next week in the House and Senate that could impact   Mississippi River Basin and Gulf Coast region natural resources.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) investigating need for "framework" to support interstate water quality nutrient and sediment trading http://ow.ly/lzPPE
• States and others argue that EPA's survey of national water quality conditions is flawed; cannot be used to justify new regulation http://ow.ly/ltcRu
• Scioto River in central Ohio among six rivers in statewide algae fight tied to the Gulf dead zone and Lake Erie http://ow.ly/lsO6V
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency board approves reissuance of MS4 permit regulating urban stormwater discharges http://ow.ly/ltsIK
• Louisville (KY) Sewer District pays $161,000 fine for 135 million gallons in illegal sewage overflows ow.ly/lxCit
• Lawsuits allege that reclaimed mountaintop removal mining sites are still polluting West Virginia waterways ow.ly/lxBY4
• Environmental groups file lawsuits over water pollution from closed West Virginia mountaintop mine sites ow.ly/lwbsw
• Three-year OSU and USDA Ohio study to track phosphorus in rainwater runoff from 30 farm fields across the state ow.ly/lxuH6
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to award grants for reducing pollutants in lakes and streams; June 11 deadline ow.ly/lxmKK 

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

• New Orleans port terminal expands to receive oil and fracking gas by rail, ship to Gulf and up Mississippi River by barge http://ow.ly/lvc5b 
• Comment on draft assessment for Army Corps proposed Glover’s Point Bend Habitat Project (Missouri River) until 6/24 ow.ly/lxyzb 
• CEQ extends comment period on draft interagency Guidelines for Federal water resources development projects: June 27 ow.ly/lwcCc 
• The latest casualty of the U.S. drought may be Midwestern and Plains aquifers ow.ly/lxthd
• Floodplain Science Network launches new website to provide relevant information addressing Midwest river challenges http://ow.ly/ltpwd

Flooding

• National Weather Service flood warning issued for Mississippi River at St. Louis, MO, Alton Lock and Dam, Chester, IL http://ow.ly/lsHri
• As soggy period continues, Central Iowans bracing for the first significant floods in three years ow.ly/lxlZ8
• Recent rains ease drought, swell rivers; Army Corps believes it has Missouri River reservoir capacity to limit flooding http://ow.ly/lvlCZ
• Parts of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois are bracing for yet another round of flooding as rivers rise ow.ly/lxlPm
• Illinois River again under flood watch; strong thunderstorms forecast Friday; possibly Saturday http://ow.ly/lzONb
• Threat of flooding looms across Iowa; closing roads, cutting power, tainting drinking water, disrupting recreation http://ow.ly/luReR
• Floods close Mississippi River locks, halt barge shipments http://ow.ly/lzOB4

Farm Bill-

• The next five-year Farm Bill is progressing in the U.S. House but possible obstacles loom http://ow.ly/lzFew
• Heritage Foundation political arm paints House farm bill as thinly-veiled Obama food stamp agenda bankrolling device ow.ly/lxld2

Agriculture -

• Applications due by June 14 from farmers, ranchers, forestland owners interested in Conservation Stewardship Program http://ow.ly/ltyMT 
• Ohio cropland values and cash rental rates are projected to increase from 6.8% to 15.4% in 2013 http://ow.ly/lsEQ9
• UN panel: Decline in biodiversity of farmed plants and livestock breeds is gathering pace http://ow.ly/lsNAt

Climate and Weather -

Click to Enlarge

• U.S. Drought Monitor: Midwest drought eases significantly; Plains conditions split between improving and worsening http://ow.ly/lzFWU
• Three-day cumulative rain graphic illustrates just how inundated the U.S. Midwest has been this week: ow.ly/lxmkN

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• MN Department of Natural Resources boosts number of inspectors; money spent to slow aquatic invasive species spread http://ow.ly/lsMvH
• US Fish & Wildlife Service estimates 18-yr cost to save small southeast Missouri cave-dwelling fish at $140,000-$4 million http://ow.ly/lvqhZ

In the Cities -

• New Orleans' five Workshops on “Urban Water Series: Strategies That Work”  draw on other cities' experiences; report: http://ow.ly/luRF8 and flier: http://ow.ly/luS65

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Corps of Engineers officer: Louisiana missing its chance at federal cost-share money for coastal restoration projects http://ow.ly/lsLge

Resource Extraction -

• Illinois House passes legislation to regulate horizontal hydraulic fracturing in the state; bill moves to Senate http://ow.ly/lzXml and http://ow.ly/lzW0f
• Illinois counties can do little but brace for fracking's impact in wake of hashed-out legislative compromise http://ow.ly/lsKjZ
• Federal officials begin taking public comments on proposed regulations for hydraulic fracturing on public lands http://ow.ly/lsKWm
• Nebraska poised to require disclosure of fracking chemicals used by drillers http://ow.ly/lsM0P

Federal Budget -

• White House to agencies: submit 2015 discretionary budget proposals 5 percent below 2014 enacted levels http://ow.ly/lzKp4

Events -  Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar (here as a stand-alone calendar)

• National Water Quality Monitoring Council Webinar: EPA’s Water Contaminant Information Tool; June 4; 1 PM EDT http://ow.ly/lsBw4
• Save the date; 10th Biennial Conference on University Education in Natural Resources;  Auburn U, AL; Mar 13-15, 2014 http://ow.ly/lsCw3
• USFS Webinar: Forest Plan Revisions & the New Planning Rule: Considerations for all-lands & open space; June 5, 2 PM http://ow.ly/ltrBM
• “Making Change Happen for the St. Croix River" workshop; July 17; 5-9 pm; aboard the Grand Duchess, Hudson, WI http://ow.ly/luQ4m
• New Orleans' 5 May-July Workshops on “Urban Water Series: Strategies That Work” - flier with workshop dates & descriptions http://ow.ly/luS65 (see report under "Cities" above)
• 4th Annual Choose Clean Water Conference: Choose Clean Water; June 4-5, Tremont Plaza Suites Hotel, Baltimore, MD ow.ly/luSRO
• Capitol Hill Briefing June 3-Water Resources Development Act: Reducing the Risks and Costs of Future Flood Disasters ow.ly/lwaCy
• EPA Webinar: Using Interactive GIS to Plan Nutrient Reductions and Track Implementation; June 5, 11-12:15 EDT http://ow.ly/lzHvE (log on as "guest")

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Watershed Network News for May 28 http://ow.ly/ltBjI
• Weekly "Water Headlines" Newsletter from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water http://ow.ly/luPS6
• The Army Corps of Engineers' Spring edition of "Our Mississippi" magazine is now available ow.ly/lwc5f (pdf file)

Other news-

• Industry groups stepping up efforts to win the right to intervene in so-called “sue-and-settle” suits involving EPA http://ow.ly/lzQeP
• "Paddling Theatre" experience is nothing of the sort ever offered before on the Minnesota River http://ow.ly/lmuKm
• Owner of Mississippi environmental testing lab convicted of falsifying wastewater discharge reports ow.ly/lnd1x
• More than 140 kayakers from across country participate in 72-mile journey down Missouri River to Sioux City http://ow.ly/lsIxO
• Majority of humanity will live with severe pressure on fresh water resources within the space of two generations http://ow.ly/lsJFS
• Wal-Mart Stores pleaded guilty Tuesday to improperly dumping hazardous waste in California and Missouri http://ow.ly/lvcQM
• A timely article from the Union of Concerned Scientists on "Reinvigorating the Role of Science in Democracy" ow.ly/lxtYd

Political Scene -

• New Congressional Research Service report: about 20% of Federal laws passed in recent years were for naming post offices http://ow.ly/luTSp
• Free-for-all anticipated in the Republican primary for Nebraska’s open U.S. Senate seat http://ow.ly/lswH5
• Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN-6) announces in that she will not seek reelection in 2014 http://ow.ly/luPuJ
• Republicans pressing Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR-4) to run for US Senate against Sen. Mark Pryor (D) http://ow.ly/luQyL
• Businessman McFadden becomes first Republican to challenge Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) for the first-term senator's seat ow.ly/lxkRn

Last Word -
"Fresh water systems across the planet are in a precarious state. Mismanagement, overuse and climate change pose long-term threats to human well being." Declaration signed by over 350 top water scientists from around the world last week at the close of the "Water in the Anthropocene" conference in Bonn, Germany.  You can watch a telling "Water in the Anthropocene," three-minute film charting the global impact of humans on the water cycle here.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next
As things heat up in the Mississippi River Basin, legislative activity will cool down in Washington, DC, next week, following several  (relatively) active weeks that witnessed movement on both the Farm Bill and the Water Resources Development Act.   Both the U.S. House and Senate are off next week for the Memorial Day recess, and will not be in session again until the week of June 3.  On Monday, June 3, the full Senate will resume Farm Bill consideration.  Only twelve of (as of May 23) 150 officially-offered amendments were considered during this week's Senate debate (see filed amendments listed on the Library of Congress page for the bill (click on "Amendments")).  The House Agriculture Committee passed its Farm Bill during a May 15 mark-up session.  House leadership this week confirmed that the full House will take up its bill in mid-June with a goal of completing it by the Congressional July Fourth recess.

It may be hard to find some Federal agency personnel today, as a Friday mass furlough of 115,000 employees at the IRS, EPA, HUD and OMB is occurring in response to budget sequestration cuts.  The furlough means offices will be closed to the public, and all but essential agency personnel will not be at work.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -

• Federal district court rejects NWF challenge to EPA rule on state certification of Clean Water Act permits ow.ly/linwE
• Senate Majority Opposes Clean Water Act Guidance, Foreshadowing  Possible Future EPA Hurdles http://ow.ly/ldkPZ
• Presence of endocrine disruptors in Lake Nokomis, Minneapolis, MN mirrors findings elsewhere in state, Midwest ow.ly/lcjen
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency beginning 6th of 10-year effort to assess condition of rivers, streams and lakes ow.ly/lhqxB
• Pollution Control Agency's state stormwater rules roil Minnesota cities ow.ly/liorH
• Minnesota lake makes "remarkable comeback" ow.ly/liqCU
• In a new FERN/American Prospect report, Paul Greenberg discusses the Gulf Dead Zone and How to Fix It ow.ly/libqo
• Water nutrient cap-and-trade proposal draws bipartisan Senate subcommittee interest; news article: http://ow.ly/lk7MV webcast and witness testimony: http://ow.ly/lk1NM
• Sierra Club lawsuit over Kentucky mine discharges targets Clean Water Act 'permit shield'  http://ow.ly/lk6xa
• Senate Republicans reintroduce bill to block Obama Administration's Clean Water Act jurisdictional guidance http://ow.ly/lk8z3

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

• Rebuild behind levee that failed or move on? Illinois River flood victims to meet tonight with Army Corps http://ow.ly/lhaXs
• Obama Wants Agencies To Revise Environmental Review and Permitting Rules To Speed Infrastructure Permits http://ow.ly/ldlka
• Louisiana Gov declares state of emergency in preparation of Mississippi River crests predicted well above flood stage ow.ly/l8sbU
• Levee officials: Army Corps plan for armoring New Orleans area levees should undergo independent peer review ow.ly/l8BU9
• Army Corps of Engineers predicts amount of runoff flowing into Missouri River this year will be about 79% of average http://ow.ly/ldmwZ
• Army Corps: reservoir releases out of Fort Randall Dam could help flush fine sediment out of the Missouri River ow.ly/lm0IC
• As ND's shale fields grows, so does fight over who has right to tap into multimillion-dollar fracking water market http://ow.ly/ldn5t
• Two St. Louis, MO flood gates at Broadway and Themis Street reopen after months of high Mississippi River water http://ow.ly/lhbOv
• USGS: Drop in US groundwater levels accelerated greatly between 2000 and 2008 ow.ly/lipGJ

Farm Bill-

• For those tracking Senate floor Farm Bill amendments, follow this FarmBillPrimer.org table, updated regularly http://ow.ly/lh5up
• Senate off until June 3, when it will take up Farm Bill again ow.ly/llZ7k - just considered 12 amendments so far ow.ly/llZd6
• House leadership aide: goal is to complete House's Farm Bill by July 4 recess; Ag Chair Lucas says mid-June on floor ow.ly/llYQw
• Senate passes Durbin-Coburn insurance farm bill amendment (see ow.ly/ll1Bo) here's what that means: ow.ly/lk09l
• National Journal Graphic: Five Things to Watch in the Farm Bill ow.ly/leDpo
• Senates farm bill debate opens, expected to run into June; White House pledges support; wants deeper insurance cuts ow.ly/leD1w
• White House: Senate should cut crop insurance subsidies by $1 billion a year before it passes the new farm bill http://ow.ly/leIg1
• Proposed farm bills would cut billions from current spending levels ow.ly/ldBfM
• Farm Bill floor fights ahead (in June) in House on nutrition cuts, dairy policy, sugar and conservation compliance ow.ly/lcc4O
• Congressional Budget Office on Friday released its cost estimate of the Senate Ag Committee-passed farm bill ow.ly/lcaCE

Agriculture - 

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial: "Bad year for farmers? Not if you count bloated crop insurance program" ow.ly/lm42U
• Midwest farmers planting crops on almost any scrap of available land to take advantage of consistently high prices ow.ly/leJNe
• U.S. farmers should begin winding down corn plantings over the next week to 10 days http://ow.ly/lk0sW
• US farmers driving floodlit tractors into the night have planted the most corn in any week on record after wet spring ow.ly/leIY5
• Increasing U.S. organic food industry political clout isn't going over well with everyone in Congress ow.ly/l8zXq
• U.S. farmers dodge showers to plant corn at breakneck pace ow.ly/lccVi
• Minnesota's struggling bioethanol makers hope to snap back after a down year for corn in 2012 http://ow.ly/ldnEa
• US insecticide sales rise as more corn is planted and effectiveness of anti-pest genetic modification wanes http://ow.ly/lh7Ol
• 2008 Farm Bill data reports are now live on the NRCS RCA Data Viewer; "Farm Bill reports" tab; Click on “What’s New” ow.ly/litmV
• Union of Concerned Scientists Vision for Healthy Farms in the 21st Century ow.ly/lisTI

Climate and Weather -

Click to Enlarge

• Week's heavy rain over northern Plains and Midwest, halted planting but provided further drought relief; eradication http://ow.ly/lmg7V

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Grass carp caught near Sartell, MN (upstream of St. Cloud) is northernmost find for Asian carp on Mississippi River http://ow.ly/l8r52
• Thinking big may not be answer to saving large-river fish; future could depend on moving conservation to tributaries ow.ly/lm0VR
• Agrichemical companies are taking steps to determine why bees are dying off ow.ly/liqdo
• Mining group faults Bureau of Land Management sage grouse study (Plains and Western state endangered species) ow.ly/limQ9
• Scientists urge federal officials not to remove protections for gray wolves across all lower 48 states ow.ly/liaPj
• US survey finds frogs, toads, and salamanders continue to vanish from landscape at an alarming pace http://ow.ly/lk4QB

In the Cities -

• Port of Dubuque, Iowa marina opens in hopes of drawing people off Mississippi River and into Port's attractions http://ow.ly/lhc3g

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Louisiana Coastal restoration efforts complicated by the lack of a systemic Mississippi River plan ow.ly/ldmdM
• National Geographic: Louisiana delta is sinking; can $50 billion save it from rising seas, sinking land? Debate continues http://ow.ly/l8Eo8
• 30 years of time-lapse satellite images show coastal Louisiana wasting away http://ow.ly/lhcs6
• Historic study will find out how the Mississippi River can really help coastal restoration ow.ly/lit42

Resource Extraction -

• Obama administration draws environmental and oil industry group criticism by issuing new draft fracking regulations ow.ly/l8zkq
• Environmental groups file lawsuit claiming federal agencies unlawfully approved Tennessee mountaintop removal mines ow.ly/l8Bfz
• Tennessee Clean Water Network, others, file Endangered Species Act lawsuit vs. USFWS over coal mine water pollution http://ow.ly/ldkc1
• Tribal Chiefs declare Keystone XL pipeline consultation meeting invalid, walk out on State Department officials http://ow.ly/lcjCM
• House approves bill to take the decision of building Keystone XL pipeline out of Obama's hands despite veto threat http://ow.ly/lk16r
• DOI Fracking Plan Wins Bipartisan Congressional Support Despite Advocates' Criticisms http://ow.ly/ldlDU
• "Clean Wisconsin" calls for the addition of more WI DNR staff to oversee increasing frac sand mine activity ow.ly/leEPt
• Minnesota lawmakers compromise on sand mining rules; still leave key decisions up to local governments http://ow.ly/lk64g
• Northern Louisiana shale natural gas a 'game changer' for New Orleans region; as forestry land sees gas boom ow.ly/lip02
• Illinois bill to regulate horizontal hydraulic fracturing in state unanimously passed by State House committee ow.ly/lio3f
• Tennessee General Assembly committee signs off on new fracking rules to take effect June 18 http://ow.ly/lk6Ru

Federal Budget -

• Federal budget caps to be followed by House Appropriations Committee in crafting spending bills will all but kill chance of budget compromise http://ow.ly/ldhYN
• Treasury Secretary: government won't hit the debt ceiling until after Labor Day http://ow.ly/lczy7
• US House proposes what are called "devastating" cuts to fiscal year 2014 Interior Department and EPA accounts http://ow.ly/lk5k2
• Here is link to House appropriators Interior, Forest Service and EPA funding caps that would mean significant program cuts ow.ly/lheno (see above story)

Events -  Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar (here as a stand-alone calendar)

• July 17: Tennessee Environmental Council Annual Membership Meeting; Nashville, TN  http://ow.ly/ldju6
• Registration for July 21-25 International Congress for Conservation Biology (Baltimore, MD) closes May 28 http://ow.ly/lkyTh
• Green Lands Blue Waters 2013 Conference; November 20-21; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis ow.ly/lmdZU
• Our Mississippi Teacher Workshop; Winona, MN June 25 9 am - 4 pm; Pre-registration required ow.ly/lmcTU
• Upper Mississippi River Basin Association June 4-6, St. Louis, MO meeting packets, with agendas, background materials ow.ly/lm4lp
• Webinar: Economic Benefits and Costs of Frac-Sand Mining in West Central Wisconsin; May 30, 10-11 CDT ow.ly/lm1B8
• This weekend's annual South Dakota Kayak Challenge now draws more than 130 kayakers to the Missouri River ow.ly/lm13P
• Registration for July 21-25 International Congress for Conservation Biology (Baltimore, MD) closes May 28 ow.ly/lkyTh

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• Weekly "Water Headlines" Newsletter from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water ow.ly/lic3v
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's May 21 and archived WaterWays e-newsletter links here: ow.ly/l1dB5
• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy May 2013 e-newsletter ow.ly/lijr2
• Green Lands Blue Waters May update on news relating to agricultural land conservation in the Mississippi River Basin ow.ly/liiVf
• EPA Climate Change and Water News - May 23 ow.ly/lm2iW
• American Farmland Trust May E-News: Farm Bill, and coverage of AFT work around the US ow.ly/lm1V6

Other news-

• Chamber of Commerce: Green groups using “sue and settle” tactics to force new Environmental Protection Agency rules http://ow.ly/leKM6
• "Climate Change Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation"-interview with Jessica Grannis; Georgetown Climate Center http://ow.ly/ldgzC (audio)

Political Scene -

• New poll shows U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) ahead of any potential 2014 GOP rivals by double digits http://ow.ly/leF99
• Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) tells his hometown paper he isn't so sure about running for a seventh term http://ow.ly/lf0hT
• Sen. Chuck Grassley's Chief of Staff plans to officially enter Iowa's U.S. Senate race in June http://ow.ly/lmlRF
• Sen. Blunt has "frank" talk with EPA Administrator nominee; Sen. Durbin not sure nominee can get 60 approval votes ow.ly/lm3PZ

Last Word - 

"When the groundwater runs out, it is gone for good. Refilling the (High Plains) aquifer would require hundreds, if not thousands, of years of rains." - Michael Wines reporting in the New York Times

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

Following morning business on Monday, the Senate is currently scheduled to proceed to the consideration of S.954, the Farm Bill.  The Monday activity will likely start around 3:00 PM and run no later than 5:00 PM.  Farm Bill activity on the Senate floor will probably then continue into the remainder of the week on a schedule yet to be determined.

Below are other Mississippi River Basin-linked activities currently scheduled this week in the U.S. House and Senate. Where available, Internet links are provided to the relevant Committee and legislation pages. Many of the proceedings are webcast live (follow the appropriate link).  All times are Eastern.

Wednesday

The full House starts at 10 a.m., and in the afternoon it will begin work on HR 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, which would approve the northern portion of the Keystone pipeline, the route of which cuts through portions of the Mississippi River Basin.
• Senate Appropriations Interior, Environment Subcommittee hearing on the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request for the United States Forest Service; 9:30 AM; room SD-124 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building 
• House Appropriations Committee's Full Committee Markup of the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, FY 2014 (including appropriations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)); 10:00 AM; room 2359 Rayburn House Office Building
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources legislative hearing on H.R. 1964, H.R. 1965, H.R. 1394, and H.R. 555 (including consideration of on-shore oil shale energy development, and a 4-year production plan strategy on all Federal lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service); 10:00 AM; room 1324 Longworth House Office Building
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee hearing on "the President's Fiscal Year 2014 Budget: Administration Priorities for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," 2:00 PM; 2167 Rayburn House Office Building
• Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife hearing on “Nutrient Trading and Water Quality;” 2:30 PM; room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Thursday

• House Science Subcommittee on Environment hearing on "Restoring U.S. Leadership in Weather Forecasting," 9:30 AM; room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee forum on "Shale Development: Best Practices and Environmental Concerns;" 10:00 AM; room SH-216 Senate Hart Building

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Farm Bill
The House and Senate Agriculture Committees held mark-up sessions this week on their respective versions of the farm bill.  The Senate Committee considered and passed its bill during a May 14 meeting (on a vote of 15-5).  Four Republicans (Sens. Johanns (NE), McConnell (KY), Roberts (KS), Thune(SD)) and one Democrat (Sen. Gillibrand (NY)) voted against it.   Senate Majority Leader Reid has placed the Senate farm bill (S.954) on the legislative calendar to be considered by the full Senate beginning Monday, May 20 (at about 3 PM EDT).  The House Committee passed its bill during a May 15 session after nine hours of debate by a vote of 36-10.  The House will likely take up its bill in June. You can read more news coverage on the matter under the "Farm Bill" heading, below.  And you will find links to a variety of legislative and other farm bill resources at our periodically-updated "2013 Farm Bill Resources" web page.

Water Resources Development Act
The U.S. Senate passed its version of the Water Resources Development Act (S. 601) on Wednesday (May 15). Commonly known as "WRDA," the legislation is a huge public works bill that periodically authorizes flood control, navigation, and water resource projects and studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  There are numerous bill provisions that impact water resources nationwide, many of which are contentious and have been reported on widely elsewhere (also see here for other examples).  The bill's so-called project "streamlining provisions" are particularly contentious and opposed by many environmental organizations, lawyer groups, and state wetlands and floodplain managers.  In addition to sections of the bill of a more national scope, the Senate-passed measure contains several provisions that directly reference and would impact Mississippi River Basin and Gulf Coast waters.  To see an overview of those provisions, you can read this summary posted earlier on this blog site.

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Record nitrate levels in Raccoon and Des Moines rivers coming from farmland threaten Des Moines, Iowa area tap water ow.ly/kVEny
• Record nitrate levels from fertilizer-laden farm runoff in rivers used by many cities for drinking water http://ow.ly/kY0Ev
• Scotts Miracle-Gro removes phosphorus from lawn fertilizer line to help reduce harmful algal blooms http://ow.ly/kUyQg
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency studies confirm wide variety of unregulated chemicals in state lakes and streams http://ow.ly/kYk6Y
• Minnesota lakes and streams have ubiquitous chemical contamination ow.ly/l185Y
• Settlement reached over feedlot pollution (manure and fertilizers) near Lake Independence (MN) ow.ly/l6lXg
• Updated federal advice on mercury levels in fish appears stalled within U.S. department of health ow.ly/l6kYn
• EPA Clean Water Act Section 319 Program "success spotlight" on Metcalf Ditch, Indiana (contaminated with nutrients) ow.ly/l1l5Y

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

Water Resources Development Act

• Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) revamps amendment to freeze flood insurance rates for 5 years, clearing Senate WRDA action http://ow.ly/kYsol
• US Senate Passes Water Resources Development Act; news coverage: ow.ly/l5x84 ow.ly/l5x98 ow.ly/l5xj8
• Water Resources Development Act passes Senate by vote of 83-14, still faces uphill House fate ow.ly/l40jB
• Here is the Library of Congress page for the Senate-passed Water Resources Development Act ow.ly/l5zf2
• Here's the roll call breakdown from today's Senate 83-14 vote passing the Water Resources Development Act (S. 601) ow.ly/l3TWg
• Senate's just-passed Water Resources Development Act authorizes Mississippi River Basin infrastructure study ow.ly/l5ruT
• Here is Senate's Water Resources Development Act wording authorizing a Mississippi River Basin infrastructure study ow.ly/l5u53

Other Water Resources News

• FEMA head reportedly promises to redo flood-risk maps to take locally built levees into consideration http://ow.ly/kU3M5
• Sen. Alexander (R-TN) threatens Army Corps' reprogramming requests over Cumberland River basin restrictions http://ow.ly/kU6SP
• Senate passes bill that would stop Army Corps of Engineers from restricting fishing in Cumberland River valley http://ow.ly/l7Uho
• Marseilles Lock and Dam's lock repair to close part of Illinois River for at least a week ow.ly/kY8lQ

Farm Bill-

• Your "one-stop shop" for 2013 Farm Bill status updates and resources (UPDATED May 17) ow.ly/l5r7c
• Next stops for Farm Bill: floors of Senate (next Monday) and House (June); then conference committee (before 9/30) http://ow.ly/l7Zub
• AP: Comparing Senate and House farm bills (nice high-level overview) http://ow.ly/l7UAp
• NPR: Big Ag, some enviros agree - farmers receiving insurance subsidies should be required to be good land stewards http://ow.ly/kU4RU

Senate

• Senate panel approves massive farm bill; AP story: ow.ly/l2RnE
• See compilation of comments from groups and Senators on the Senate Ag Committee-passed farm bill here: ow.ly/l2UlU
• National Association of Conservation Districts: Conservation Compliance Coalition Praises Senate Farm Bill Agreement ow.ly/l2T6i
• U.S. Senate's Monday calendar: "Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to the consideration of S.954, the Farm bill" http://ow.ly/l7YQJ

House

• POLITICO: House Committee approves farm bill; Senate floor debate expected to begin next week; House in June ow.ly/l5omb
• NY Times: House Agriculture Committee passes farm bill; mostly Democrats voted against bill after 9 hours of debate ow.ly/l5o1E
• The Caucus Blog (New York Times): “The most contentious fight during the hearing was over cuts to food stamps" ow.ly/l2TvD
• House Agriculture Committee approves farm bill by vote of 36-10. Here is committee's media release: ow.ly/l5kat
• House Farm Bill draft food stamp program cuts likely to spur opposition from Democrats ow.ly/kVEAq
• Politico overview of House farm bill rolled out by Ag Committee: Chair Frank Lucas "tacked to the right" ow.ly/kVEuM
• NY Times editorial board: Allowing food stamps cuts "wrong position fiscally and morally" "terrible [House] strategy" ow.ly/l0IW5

Agriculture -

• Plight of the bee - disappearing in record numbers - symbol of much that is haywire in current farm-political system ow.ly/l0GHG
• Rise in prices for agricultural land slowed somewhat to start the year in parts of the U.S. Farm Belt ow.ly/l5qI4
• US farmland prices rise despite weak grain market; whether market is overheating is becoming feverishly discussed http://ow.ly/l80hx

Climate and Weather -

Click to Enlarge Drought Monitor Map

• Dryness, drought ease significantly in Plains, some of Upper Mississippi Valley; remain unchanged elsewhere in region http://ow.ly/l8220
• For the first time in human history, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached 400
• ppm http://ow.ly/kUAYA
• Do we need a better yardstick to measure severe droughts? The US Drought Monitor might be due for a tuneup http://ow.ly/kYmLL
• For insurers, no doubts on climate change, from Hurricane Sandy to the Midwest Corn Belt drought ow.ly/l3l66

In the Cities -

• Federal agencies expand nationwide urban waterway revitalization efforts; include two Mississippi River Basin cities http://ow.ly/kTZp4
• St. Louis and Kansas City, MO among eleven cities nationwide joining EPA's Urban Waters Federal Partnership ow.ly/kY1SO
• Louisville, KY Metropolitan Sewer District sewer push begins with vision of cleaner water' more growth ow.ly/l18rG

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Study will evaluate Louisiana Coastal Master Plan's assumption that Mississippi River sediment can offset sea-level rise http://ow.ly/kY997
• Louisiana lists 39 restoration projects that would be financed with BP oil spill fine money ow.ly/l6lES
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announces creation of fund to restore Louisiana, Gulf Coast natural resources ow.ly/l17He

Resource Extraction -

• Minnesota compromise frac sand deal nixes effort to put trout stream areas off limits to mining ow.ly/l3lvj
• Interior Department unveils revised proposal to regulate fracking oil-and-gas development on Federal/Tribal land http://ow.ly/l7TY6
• Duke University and U.S. Geological Survey study: Shale gas production in Arkansas has not contaminated groundwater ow.ly/l6mP4
• The future of fracking in East Tennessee being debated ow.ly/l6mBD
• Compromise means bill to regulate horizontal hydraulic fracturing, drilling in Illinois is ready to move forward ow.ly/l3lKB
• Proposed state fracking legislation expected to unleash Southern Illinois oil boom ow.ly/l6mkw

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar (here as a stand-alone calendar)

• Greater New Orleans Foundation, Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law & Policy, others: Urban Water Series May-July http://ow.ly/kUgvP
• May 22 in-depth discussion of coastal issues: The Louisiana Coast: Last Call; Loyola University New Orleans; 6-8 PM http://ow.ly/kUDTI
• Save the date: Fishers & Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi River Basin meeting; LaCrosse, WI June 25-26 ow.ly/l3c8B
• MN DOT/LRRB Complete Streets Planning & Implementation Guidebook Seminar; June 4; St. Paul, MN and webinar ow.ly/l31T9

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• EPA’s Nonpoint Source News-Notes, May 2013, is now online at http://ow.ly/kU8bG explores new polluted runoff management tools; programs
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's May 2013 "Waterfront Bulletin" http://ow.ly/kTVZH
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's May 14 Watershed Network News e-newsletter ow.ly/l1cro
• Weekly "Water Headlines" Newsletter from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water ow.ly/l1ksh
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's May 14 and archived WaterWays e-newsletter links here: ow.ly/l1dB5
• The Horinko Group May "Sustainabulletin" Newsletter; with Ogallala aquifer, Farm Bill program, fracking, other items ow.ly/l6o1T

Other news-

• OMB review sees greater benefits than costs in regulations, especially EPA's http://ow.ly/kUGzK
• New USGS Maps Show the National Distribution and Trends of Pesticide Use, 1992-2009 http://ow.ly/l7UNM
• Follow along the paddle down the Namekagon River, from Cable to Danbury, Wisconsin; May 19-24 on this blog: http://ow.ly/l7VaP

Political Scene -

• Rick Weiland is the last man standing in South Dakota's Democratic US Senate primary field ow.ly/l5uh2
• EPA Administrator nomination in doubt, angering Democrats ow.ly/kU19h
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approves Gina McCarthy's nomination to head EPA in 10-8 party-line vote http://ow.ly/l6rQv
• Retirements and confirmation fights create high-level vacancies at USEPA ow.ly/l6ljI
• Former U.S. attorney Matt Whitaker (R) makes his Iowa US Senate campaign official ow.ly/l0HNL
• Utility executive enters 2014 race for Louisiana's U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) ow.ly/l0FXf

Last Word -

Olympia Snowe

"Isn't that amazing? To work a five-day workweek? Because what happens is that, you know, on Mondays - at least in the Senate - Monday night we'd have what you'd call a bedcheck vote. Just to get, you know, the machinery of the Senate up and running so that we can start the committee process on Tuesday morning ... By Thursday, you know, jet fumes. The smell of jet fumes ... Everybody's heading home, wanting to know when they can adjourn on Thursday so they can leave. [This] very short version of a workweek; makes it very difficult to deal with complex issues. And basically they're not even getting the routine matters of business accomplished. We can't pass a budget! Which is preposterous." - former Republican U.S. Senator from Maine, Olympia Snowe discussing her new book, "Fighting for Common Ground: How We Can Fix the Stalemate in Congress"

The Senate's Water Resources Development Act and the Mississippi River Basin

The U.S. Senate passed its version of the Water Resources Development Act (S. 601) on Wednesday (May 15). Commonly known as "WRDA," the legislation is a huge public works bill that periodically authorizes flood control, navigation, and water resource projects and studies by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  There are numerous bill provisions that impact water resources nationwide, many of which are contentious and have been reported on widely elsewhere (also see here for other examples).  The bill's so-called project "streamlining provisions" are particularly contentious and opposed by many environmental organizations, lawyer groups, and state wetlands and floodplain managers.  In addition to sections of the bill of a more national scope, the Senate-passed measure contains several provisions that directly reference and would impact Mississippi River Basin and Gulf Coast waters.  The more notable include:

• An amendment included in the bill sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, (D-RI) (passed 67-32) that would affect natural resource protection and restoration in the Gulf Coast by authorizing the creation of a national endowment to support the restoration and protection of oceans, coastal areas and the Great Lakes.
• An amendment offered by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) (passed) to provide for a multiagency effort to slow the spread of Asian carp in the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River basins and tributaries.
• Sen. Richard Durbin's (along with others) amendment (agreed to by Unanimous Consent), which includes language authorizing the Army Corps of Engineers to carry out a study of the built flood control and navigation infrastructure within the greater Mississippi River Basin.  Called the "Greater Mississippi River Basin Severe Flooding And Drought Management Study," its authorized purpose would be "(1) to improve the coordinated and comprehensive management of water resource projects in the greater Mississippi River Basin relating to severe flooding and drought conditions; and (2) to evaluate the feasibility of any modifications to those water resource projects, consistent with the authorized purposes of those projects, and develop new water resource projects to improve the reliability of navigation and more effectively reduce flood risk."
• An amendment offered by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) and passed on a voice vote that would block the Army Corps from imposing fees on states for withdrawing water from certain Missouri River reservoirs.  The Hoeven language specifically states that, "No fee for surplus water shall be charged under a contract for surplus water if the contract is for surplus water stored on the Missouri River." 

Other WRDA amendments passed on the Senate floor and now included in the bill that could significantly influence the way water resources are managed in the Mississippi River Basin (while not mentioning the River Basin by name) include:

• An amendment sponsored by Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) (passed by Unanimous Consent) that would change WRDA language requiring a Government Accountability Office study on the Army Corps’ water management response to floods, storms, and droughts so that it includes an evaluation of the reduction in long-term costs and vulnerability to infrastructure through the use of resilient construction techniques.
• An amendment offered by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), which would arguably benefit smaller ports and harbors.  Passed by Unanimous Consent, the language would change the formula for Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund allocations to states for harbor maintenance activities, under which fund allocations would be limited to those states that contributed at least 2.5% of the total amount paid into the fund, and that received less than 50% of those contributions back in the prior three years. The Boxer amendment would also prioritize projects receiving the lowest levels of Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund money compared to the amount contributed to the Fund in the previous three years.

Thirteen Republicans and one Democrat (Sen. Pat Leahy of Vermont) voted against the Senate bill (three Senators did not vote).  In the Mississippi River states, eight Senators voted for the measure, with only Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Rand Paul (R-KY) voting no.  Additionally in the River Basin, Tom Coburn (R-OK) voted against the WRDA bill.

Action on a companion WRDA bill in the U.S. House is months away, by most accounts.  The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has primary jurisdiction over WRDA, will likely conduct a series of meetings and hearings on WRDA-related matters before crafting a measure and considering it officially.

Importantly, WRDA does not appropriate funds for those projects and programs. That job falls to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees each year. WRDA projects and costs authorized under the act have typically far outstripped the revenue from their two major funding sources: the Inland Waterway Trust Fund and the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, both of which are vastly oversubscribed and fiscally unsound. This is due in large part to the past WRDA tradition of placing numerous water resources projects into the WRDA bill that for the most part now meet the congressional definition of an "earmark" ("congressional earmark" - House Rule XXI, Clause 9(a)). And the current House ban on earmarks would largely put a stop to that process, arguably necessitating changes to WRDA that provide some mechanism for identifying and prioritizing funding for needed water resource projects.

UPDATED: Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

Senate floor activity on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) moved along slowly last week (with only four of the amendments to the bill considered and passed thus far).  Here is a link to a description of the significant amendments passed last week. Further full Senate activity likely will occur during this week.  There will be a Senate floor vote on a motion to invoke cloture on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) at noon Tuesday, unless the two sides come to an agreement.  The vote would take a 3/5 majority to pass and would limit further bill consideration to 30 hours.

Below are the other activities currently scheduled this week in the U.S. House and Senate that could have a significant impact on the sustainability of the Mississippi River Basin's natural and built resources. Where available, links are provided to the relevant Committee and legislation pages on the Internet. Many of the proceedings are webcast live (follow the appropriate link).  All times are Eastern.

Tuesday

• Senate Agriculture Committee Markup of the "Farm Bill" (Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013); 10:00 AM; room 328A Russell Senate Office Building
• Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing on the FY 2014 Budget Request for the U.S. Coast Guard; 2:30 PM; room 138 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Wednesday

• House Agriculture Committee Markup of the "Farm Bill;" 10:00 AM; room 1300 Longworth House Office Building

Thursday

• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation  Oversight Hearing on “Invasive Species Management on Federal Lands;” 10:00 AM; room 1334 Longworth House Office Building
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Oversight Hearing on “The 2008 Lacey Act Amendments” (Lacey Act combats trafficking in “illegal” wildlife, fish, and plants); 10:00 AM; room 1324 Longworth House Office Building
• Senate Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration Subcommittee Hearing to review the fiscal year 2014 budget request for various agencies within the Department of Agriculture; 10:00 AM; room 124 Dirksen Senate Office Building
• House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing on the Fiscal Year 2014 Environmental Protection Agency Budget; 10:00 AM; room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee business meeting to consider Gina McCarthy, nominee to be Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; 12 noon; room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building