Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News of the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next in Washington
Following what looked to some to be the House's adoption a "poison pill" amendment at the very end of two days of farm bill amendment consideration, Democratic support for the House's farm bill quickly evaporated from more than 40 to 24 members, and the farm bill failed to pass yesterday afternoon by a vote of 195-234 (link to roll call vote summary here). In the end, 62 Republicans joined with 172 Democrats voting against the bill.  This defeat surprised many Congressional leaders and outside observers, and left the path forward on the farm bill uncertain. For more about the farm bill's fate and possible future, check out the articles below (under "Farm Bill"), and this link to our latest 2013 farm bill news and resources update page.  

With the farm bill temporarily in a figurative ditch and rear-view mirror, our attention turns to next week, when there are a few Congressional hearings at least marginally related to Mississippi River Basin water resources (on forests, energy development, water development appropriations, weather forecasting and emergency preparedness).  You can see a listing of those scheduled events here.  

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week 

Water Quality -

• Scientists project large Gulf of Mexico hypoxic ‘dead zone’ this summer ow.ly/maYsk ow.ly/maYuO ow.ly/maYyZ

  

  2012 Gulf of Mexico "Dead Zone" (depicted in red)
  (click to enlarge)

• U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals weighs EPA bid for rehearing on wastewater discharge rules http://ow.ly/m7tq9
• Scientists: more research needed to reach any conclusions on widely-used pesticide's (atrazine) human health impacts http://ow.ly/m6m4u
• EPA is delaying its projected release of proposed water quality criteria revisions for chloride http://ow.ly/m7tXn
• EPA finalizes list of 109 chemicals, pesticide active ingredients included in Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program http://ow.ly/m6mvG
• USEPA orders Minnesota to impose more stringent limits on pollutants discharged into state’s lakes and rivers http://ow.ly/m2kpy
• Wisconsin poised to add nearly 150 impaired water bodies to list of those not meeting state water quality standards http://ow.ly/m2kNi
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Citizens' Board to consider Construction Stormwater general permit at June 25 meeting http://ow.ly/m63jB
• Four Minnesota watersheds chosen to pilot program where farmers will adopt projects to protect water from pollutants http://ow.ly/m8W0q
• USGS scientists check Missouri waters for impacts from hundreds of pesticides and nutrients used in farming http://ow.ly/m8WHV
• Fearing EPA preemption, Ohio pushing a novel numeric nutrient water quality index; environmentalists support approach http://ow.ly/m96MF
• Proposed USEPA rules would impose first-ever caps on pollution from power plant water discharges http://ow.ly/m6htm (for more in-depth legal analysis, see: http://ow.ly/m6Hl2)
• Broken sewer valve spills up to 1M gallons of untreated wastewater into River des Peres near Mississippi River ow.ly/maYZo
• Environmental groups sue over discharges from former West Virginia mountaintop coal mines http://ow.ly/meKu0

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

New Madrid Floodway
(click to enlarge)

• "Science, Politics and Status of the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway Project" webinar slides and presentation: http://ow.ly/m8KPc
• Flood waters leave 40- to 50- foot breach in the Missouri River levee at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area http://ow.ly/m2nHr
• New satellite data show significant fluctuations since 2003 in water reserves of six U.S. regions http://ow.ly/m2pAq
• FEMA Report: Climate change could increase areas at flood risk by 45%, impacting National Flood Insurance Program http://ow.ly/m67nz
• House passes amendment to funding bill that would block large hikes in flood insurance premiums http://ow.ly/m67yU
• Army Corps of Engineers chief says U.S. might need to strengthen levee designs in response to climate-induced changes http://ow.ly/m8RMg
• Rare wetlands mitigation bank lawsuit may test EPA-Corps rule, challenges regulatory “restoration” definition http://ow.ly/m6ghH
• NPR: two doctrines govern surface water rights in the U.S. - one for the West and one for the East http://ow.ly/m6jsM
• Innovative land management could replenish wetlands, limit flood damage and keep New Orleans from sinking http://ow.ly/m6KYB
• Wetlands Initiative restoration ecologist discusses how one can tell when a wetland restoration project is on track http://ow.ly/mc1EV
• With Mississippi River west bank flood-protection ring complete in Louisiana, focus shifts to still-vulnerable areas http://ow.ly/m8X4A
• Flooding creates opportunities as well as consequences for wildlife in Indiana http://ow.ly/m6njw
• Army Corps funding passed by House appropriations subcommittee ow.ly/maTSC

Farm Bill-

• Shocking House leaders, chamber soundly defeats farm bill http://ow.ly/meLG1
• Reuters: U.S. House deals shock defeat to Republican farm bill http://ow.ly/mfLHA
• In blow to GOP leaders, House rejects 5-year farm bill 195-234; only 24 Democratic vote yes; 62 Republicans opposed ow.ly/meI92
• House farm bill failed even though House Agriculture Committee leaders effectively managed the bill-until the end http://ow.ly/mfM7C
• Conservatives' 'overreach' on food stamps spells doom for the farm fill in the House; future now unclear http://ow.ly/mfMub
• New York Times editorial board farm bill defeat reaction: "Collision Over the House Farm Bill" http://ow.ly/mfMQ3
• Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas is assessing all farm bill options in face of House defeat of the bill ow.ly/meIMF
• Farm bill faces uncertain future after House collapse over food stamp cuts and agriculture subsidies http://ow.ly/mfLrM
• Those involved in farm bill debate, irate at sudden defeat, say dysfunctional U.S. House just isn't working http://ow.ly/mfGIQ
• Opposition to House Farm Bill Spans Political Spectrum ow.ly/m98eB (this was a pre-vote article, but germane nonetheless)

Agriculture -

• Missouri soil scientists say they’re seeing more erosion on farmland than they have in years http://ow.ly/mg0jz
• US Circuit Court of Appeals: in break with status quo BLM must study more Missouri River Breaks grazing alternatives http://ow.ly/m2oPF
• IL Agricultural Economist Scott Irwin farmdoc daily blog “An Updated Look at the Profitability of Ethanol Production” http://ow.ly/m6bnA
• New York Times editorial board: “The EPA Backs Off on Factory Farms” ow.ly/m6ayO
• Minnesota Gov. Dayton asks USDA to ease conservation rules; allow livestock grazing on conservation land after tough winter http://t.co/km1gcjsTj5
• In Nebraska, where corn is king, a new appreciation grows for grass-fed beef http://ow.ly/m8Vn6
• Indiana University research reveals value of restoring wetlands and riparian habitat on agricultural lands ow.ly/mc0RN
• Food production yield trends insufficient to meet needs and double global crop production by 2050 http://t.co/HizfzW3RiQ

June 18 US Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)

Climate and Weather -

• More Great Plains heat and dry conditions expected over the next couple of weeks http://ow.ly/lzFWU
• Fracking's new frontier and its high water demands are expanding into areas hit by severe drought http://ow.ly/m6mYP
• Obama considers sweeping climate plan ow.ly/m9YLX

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• National Wildlife Federation study: Massive climate-induced shifts in bird migration patterns and habitat have begun http://ow.ly/m9Ksn
• Journal of Applied Ecology: class of pesticides linked to deaths of bees may be harming other wildlife species http://ow.ly/m2k3X
• Peregrine falcons making comeback in Minnesota http://ow.ly/m6kq9
• Study: cow elk unfazed at prospect of crossing wide Missouri River sections during spring migration http://ow.ly/m6kVk
• Study in Europe and Australia: Pesticide use has sharply reduced regional stream invertebrate biodiversity http://ow.ly/m8UYa
• Researchers: Small dam construction to reduce greenhouse emissions is causing ecosystem disruption; biodiversity loss http://ow.ly/m9GKf
• White House starts review of rule on Interior Department determination of ESA critical habitat designation costs http://ow.ly/mcsDN

In the Cities -

• EPA to host Green Street Design Workshop in Joplin, MO to minimize stormwater runoff while removing pollutants http://ow.ly/m6OMF

In the States-

• Wisconsin expands general permit scope to allow faster cleanup of accumulated biological debris in non-Great Lake waters http://ow.ly/m6Qy8

Gulf Coastal Region-

• 100s face off against Coastal restoration officials claiming Mississippi River diversions will harm wildlife, fishing http://ow.ly/m8Q6x
• Sea level rise, climate change and coastal erosion mean more inland St. Tammany Parish (LA) flooding during hurricanes http://ow.ly/mbt3w
• Attempts fail to limit Gulf Coast oil spill penalty money to coastal restoration in the Louisiana Constitution http://ow.ly/mbtqG
• Op-ed: Lessons in coastal restoration from Vietnam (applicable to the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana) http://ow.ly/mfSxv

Resource Extraction -

• Terre Haute, Indiana city council passes moratorium on fracking within city limits http://ow.ly/m2ldI
• Tennessee officials close door on more drilling for natural gas (via fracking) on state land http://ow.ly/m2lFO
• Illinois governor signs landmark fracking bill into law; includes disclosure, permit appeal and lawsuit provisions http://ow.ly/m8Sqj
• Mother Jones: Illinois fracking law looks more like a tactical concession than an environmental victory http://ow.ly/mfZba
• Company seeks to undertake tar sands extraction at proposed strip mine in southwestern Kentucky http://ow.ly/m8Y1v

Federal Budget -

• House Appropriations subcommittee passes 2014 spending bill that would maintain Army Corps infrastructure funding http://ow.ly/m9KWm and http://ow.ly/m9L9T
• Full Senate appropriations committee sends $20.9B agriculture spending bill on to Senate floor http://ow.ly/meLZ5
• Senate Agriculture Committee release includes broad summary of its fiscal 2014 Agriculture spending bill http://ow.ly/mfNcy (PDF file)

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

• EPA Webcast: Harmful Algal Blooms and Their Impacts in Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems; June 25; 1:00 PM EDT http://ow.ly/m625e
• June 24 Washington DC seminar: Impact of the Precautionary Principle on Feeding Current and Future Generations http://ow.ly/m9OH4

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• June 18 Water Headlines from EPA's Office of Water http://ow.ly/m9C6b
• 1Mississippi campaign June River Citizen Newsletter http://t.co/fOGKFEPFvG
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's most recent and archived WaterWays e-newsletter links: http://ow.ly/klTzd
• St. Croix River Association June 19 e-newsletter http://ow.ly/mcjtK
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency River Connections for June 2013 http://ow.ly/mfWK7
• Green Lands Blue Waters bi-weekly update on Mississippi River Basin agricultural land conservation-right hand column: http://ow.ly/mfXqP

Other news-

• EPA updated report: Technical Review of the Interactions among Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality ow.ly/m79jP
• House subcommittee members fail to reach coal ash compromise ahead of committee markup; Dems predict ultimate defeat http://ow.ly/mb3BW
• Mississippi World Trade Center enters into alliance promoting "stakeholder interests of ...world’s greatest waterway” http://ow.ly/m2okz
• Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks seeks input on managing recreation on the Madison River, headwater to Missouri River http://ow.ly/m7uu9
• 27-year-old Chicagoan navigating entire 2,400 miles of Missouri River on his standup paddleboard http://ow.ly/m8QwX
• High water levels on the Mississippi River making for an especially dangerous recreational boating situation ow.ly/maZ9T

Political Scene -

• Farm Bill’s Failure Poisons Well in House http://ow.ly/mfSWo
• Minnesota state Rep. Mike Benson (R) to challenge Congressman Tim Walz (D-MN-1) for US House seat http://t.co/qyI7MGEGXZ
• Kentucky Governor mulls Congressional redistricting do-over, complicating an already-protracted effort http://ow.ly/m8GpI
• Huge climate change gap between Democrats and Republicans on display in House Science, Space and Technology Committee http://ow.ly/mbu6g

Last Word -

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - On this date in 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and last-needed state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land.