Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

New USGS Internet Portal Provides Access to More Than a Century of Sediment Data
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program has

Suspended sediment sampling locations
(click to enlarge)

announced the availability of a new online, interactive, sediment data portal that was developed by NAWQA to improve the utility and accessibility of USGS suspended-sediment data collected from more than 4,900 stream sites across the Nation. The portal is intended to provide easy access to high quality, suspended sediment data, along with ancillary information on streamflow condition, sediment grain size, sampling method, and landscape conditions.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Concerns continue over transporting fracking waste on the Ohio River in wake of West Virginia chemical spill http://ow.ly/sRPIa
• USGS working closely with Tribes around the country to address water availability and water quality issues on Tribal lands http://ow.ly/sUruT

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

• Big drop in Missouri River water levels over the decades becoming critical problem for water utilities, bridges, levees http://ow.ly/sMV1Q
• Flood insurance costs rising in North Dakota http://ow.ly/sMVuW
• Wisconsin River Power Company will begin drawing down flowages on the Wisconsin River in February http://ow.ly/sMWfQ
• Residents who live near the Missouri River in Bismarck have rejected a proposal to fund a flood protection levee http://ow.ly/sPhDK
• Arkansas River barge traffic in Crawford County at standstill because of overhead railroad bridge damage http://ow.ly/sRQtN
• State Department of Natural Resources plans for a major study on groundwater in central Wisconsin http://ow.ly/sSgak

Farm Bill-

• Best shot for farm bill passage: filing bill on Monday night; setting up quick Wednesday House vote  http://ow.ly/sUtNN
• Farm bill negotiators are struggling with two final issues: dairy and payment limits http://ow.ly/sUtkV
• Agreement on a five-year farm bill may be announced soon, according to Sen. Joe Donnelly (D., Ind.) http://ow.ly/sPfI4

Agriculture -

• American Farmland Trust report: Increased state farmland preservation funding fails to stem development http://ow.ly/sO1Uk (report here: http://ow.ly/sO28t)
• Semi-annual farmland values study suggests the market for farmland could be leveling off, or in some cases, softening http://ow.ly/sPfZS

January 21 Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)

Climate and Weather -

• NOAA weekly national drought monitor update: slight drought expansion in Louisiana and adjacent Mississippi http://ow.ly/q3w3u
• NOAA reports that 2013 was globally the 4th-warmest year ever recorded http://ow.ly/sPh4H

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Minnesota hopeful for more time to battle Asian carp in Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers http://ow.ly/sMVJO
• American White Pelicans spending winter along Arkansas River in Tulsa's warmer climate http://ow.ly/sPhjx
• Bowhunters invited to shoot as many Asian carp as possible in July Illinois River competition, central Illinois http://ow.ly/sRQex

In the Cities -

• Memphis to install wastewater treatment improvements aimed at reducing pollution in the Mississippi River http://ow.ly/sMVWo
• Groups say Baton Rouge, LA Mayor Holden and his administration are not making enough changes to protect environment http://ow.ly/sMX9b

Federal Budget -

• President Obama will deliver his fiscal 2015 budget a month late on March 4 http://ow.ly/sUu8v
• Federal officials can't spend money on Missouri River environmental study for 3rd straight year under spending bill http://ow.ly/sNtsD
• Treasury Secretary suggests that Congress needs to raise the debt limit in the next 16 days http://ow.ly/sRN2t

Resource Development -

• Public hears from environmental and health experts on the potential impact of frac sand mining in Winona, MN http://ow.ly/sMWTj

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Bi-weekly Green Lands Blue Waters update, highlighting Mississippi River Basin Continuous Living Cover on agricultural land http://ow.ly/sPgFe
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's January 22 "TUWaterWays" edition (PDF file) http://ow.ly/sUv30
• Interesting 42-minute, 1930s video of the Upper Mississippi River lock and dam system http://ow.ly/sRO56 (video embedded below)

Other news-

• EPA Announces Nearly $5 Million in Grants to Support Research to Protect Urban Watersheds with Green Infrastructure http://ow.ly/sO32i
• Op-ed: Missouri River floodway is the worst location to dump coal ash http://ow.ly/sPhwC
• Less than a week remains to comment on the EPA's proposed cuts to the Renewable Fuels Standard http://ow.ly/sRNjr
• Job announcement: Executive Director - Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana - Baton Rouge, Louisiana ow.ly/sRNCA
• Summer job position: Aquatic Field Technician, Illinois River Biological Station http://ow.ly/sUslQ

Politics and People-

• Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) announced Tuesday he will run for Louisiana governor in 2015 http://ow.ly/sNIEV
• Oklahoma Rep. James Lankford announces that he will seek to fill Sen. Tom Coburn’s (R) U.S. Senate seat http://ow.ly/sMR9l
• Omaha attorney David Domina gives Democrats their first candidate by entering race for Nebraska's open Senate seat: http://bit.ly/1jqHFVv
• Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV-3) to get primary challenge from Major Richard Ojeda: http://bit.ly/1jqOB52
• Former state Sen. Kelly Kultala (D) announces she'll run against incumbent GOP Rep. Kevin Yoder (KS-3) http://bit.ly/1mEIXyQ

Last Word -

"The air of ideas is the only air worth breathing." - Pulitzer prize-winning American novelist, short story writer and designer, Edith Wharton, who was born on this date in 1862.