Friday, April 4, 2014

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Capitol Hill Next Week - What to Watch For
For the second of a rare three-week consecutive run, Congress will be in session next week, and we
have compiled a list of the U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for the week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources. In a turn from recent practice, a majority of the hearings listed do not pertain to the fiscal year 2015 budget. They include a hearing on House bills designed to amend the Endangered Species Act, a Senate committee hearing on advanced biofuels, and a hearing on healthy forests and rural jobs. You can find all of the relevant details here.

Implementing the New Farm Bill - What's Up Next for Conservation
NRCS Conservation Landscapes
The Agricultural Act of 2014 (also known as the “farm bill”) was enacted on February 7, establishing and reauthorizing a suite of new and existing conservation programs that benefit both agricultural producers and the environment. USDA has tallied 430-plus actions that it believes it needs to take in order to implement all of the measures called for in the new farm bill. Based on a series of meetings over the past month with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Jason Weller, we have prepared a summary of USDA’s plans for implementing key conservation initiatives under the provisions of the 2014 farm bill.  The top priorities for the NRCS include getting assistance out as soon as possible this spring; moving from 23 to 13 conservation programs and increasing efficiency and productivity in the process; the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program; the 10 million-acre-per-year Conservation Stewardship Program; the $250 million-per-year authorized for the Small Watershed Rehabilitation Program; and smoothly and quickly implementing new conservation compliance rules. You can find additional conservation implementation details and links to associated USDA web pages here.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week
Water Quality -
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee expects vote "soon" on bill to limit USEPA's Clean Water Act permit veto power http://bit.ly/1fs3W5b
  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency opens draft Industrial Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit for comment http://ow.ly/vdfop
  • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sets goal of a 25 percent reduction in sediment in the Minnesota River by 2020 http://bit.ly/1i4nUQF
  • Thaw threatens Wisconsin water supplies with manure runoff http://bit.ly/1mEyWTP
  • Snake River (Minnesota) water quality report calls for protecting and restoring lakes and streams http://bit.ly/1pG58n3
  • EPA Awarding Close to $13 Million to Assist Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Across the United States http://1.usa.gov/1pX9ckR
Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -
  • Survey: Water-related challenges, costs are concerns for many Fortune 500 companies; not enough to make them change related practices http://bit.ly/1mHQoqv
  • Diverting Missouri River to the Red River Valley would be a huge challenge and cost between $800 million and $1.1 billion http://bit.ly/1kig8p4
  • FBI investigating FEMA over "unusual" changes in federal flood insurance maps benefiting oceanfront building owners http://nbcnews.to/1dxyNPu
  • Critics worry Ameren’s preferred coal ash disposal site  in the Missouri River floodplain invites an environmental catastrophe http://bit.ly/1dKeJtl
  • Army Corps to host meetings on Missouri River operation throughout watershed http://bit.ly/1lDY8d3
  • Four-state MINK (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas) regional group holds meeting to discuss Missouri River port development http://bit.ly/1pVxXvG
  • U.S. vessel owners, operators and mariners visit Capitol Hill offices during American Waterways Operators' annual "Barge-In" bit.ly/1hEJBuj
  • Officials: Ice in Mississippi River delays barge traffic http://bit.ly/1lFwbSa
Agriculture -
  • LEAD ARTICLE: "Plowed Under" - Massive shift underway in Northern Plains, with ramifications for water quality, food, and long-term farm viability http://bit.ly/1h2zbWw
  • Timeline for Farm Bill program implementation beginning to take shape http://bit.ly/PmnqhZ
  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Progress on 2014 Farm Bill Implementation http://1.usa.gov/1pW5qrO
  • USDA: growers intend to plant 91.7 million acres of corn in 2014, down 4 percent from 2013; should be a record-high soybean acreage year http://1.usa.gov/1pHBldw
  • Illinois farmers explore what "future may hold for corn production if current nutrient management practices are unchanged" http://bit.ly/1fMFBUl
Climate and Weather -
April 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)
  • LEAD ARTICLE: UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report is among most sobering yet; predicting worst is yet to come http://ow.ly/vdmGo
  • April 1 NOAA/NWS national drought update: Midwest mostly unchanged with some drought southern Illinois and southeastern Missouri; Severe Drought (D2) pushed eastward in Plains http://ow.ly/q3w3u 
  • NOAA Climate Prediction Center April monthly drought outlook: improvement and/or drought removal predicted for lower Great Plains, Upper (and especially Middle) Mississippi Valley  http://ow.ly/q3yAx
  • American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) connects leading professionals from a variety of sectors working to increase climate resilience across the United States http://bit.ly/QIkqO6
Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -
  • Seven central Wisconsin counties declare April 2014 as “Celebration of Grasslands Month” http://mnhne.ws/1gXNxr7
  • American bald eagle makes comeback along Pittsburgh's three rivers http://fxn.ws/1jR54n6
  • Water released into Nebraska's Platte River for rare whooping cranes http://bit.ly/1jFjfZW
  • Kansas Secretary of State wants aggressive response to federal designation of  lesser prairie chicken as threatened http://bit.ly/1pVmUml
  • Rarely-observed shovel nose sturgeon seen in Arkansas River by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation http://bit.ly/1gRK6Br
  • Farms investing in habitat for bees see return on investment in less than 4 years http://t.co/jDCjE64zWW
In the Cities -
In the States-
  • Community, environmental groups propose state bill  to amend the Illinois Livestock Management Facilities Act http://ow.ly/vdo5O
  • Environmental groups worry that Iowa House proposal would restrict access to water quality, land-use practice information http://ow.ly/vdouX (also see: http://dmreg.co/1jrhCyW)
  • In spill's aftermath, and after weeks of study and debate, West Virginia finally has new law regulating aboveground chemical storage tanks http://bit.ly/1dV0RMy
  • State budget puts fate of advisory Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission "in limbo" http://cjky.it/1i4iMw6
Louisiana Coastal Region-
  • Report: Louisiana $50 billion coastal restoration plan would inject billions more into economy http://bit.ly/1loXsbc
  • Mississippi River Hydrodynamic and Delta Management Study begins to reveal complexities of  rebuilding Louisiana delta http://bit.ly/1maFRks
  • U.S. Geological Survey releases coastal Louisiana marshes map, detailing habitats and vegetation types http://bit.ly/1hsFJMY
  • As miles of Louisiana coast disappear, Vermilion Parish residents fear they’re losing their way of life, economy base http://alj.am/1jF6233
  • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation approves $144.5 million for Caminada Headland barrier island restoration http://bit.ly/1gtgW6X
Resource Development -
  • Satellite imagery:  U.S. Corn Belt during growing season is most productive area in world for converting carbon dioxide, sunlight into usable energy http://bit.ly/1hh87NC
  • Report describes significant places, drinking water sources and natural areas threatened by tar sands pipeline expansion http://bit.ly/1s2DBQC
Federal Budget -
  • Lawmakers agree that Administration's fiscal year 2015 budget: doesn't provide enough money for Army Corps of Engineers http://bit.ly/1i4kv4p
  • Sens. Landrieu and Feinstein want more candid testimony from Army Corps on budget shortfalls http://bit.ly/1gRLLaa
  • Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) unveils Federal budget that proposes to cut $5.1 trillion over a decade http://bit.ly/1ia8GLk
  • GOP lawmakers say Ryan budget plan will pass the House http://bit.ly/PlWqPD
Events -  Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar (here as a stand-alone calendar)
  • St. Croix River Association Upcoming Events for April - June http://bit.ly/1pOVhv0
  • EPA Webcast on April 7 (1 PM EDT) on waters of the U.S. proposed rule (to clarify protection under Clean Water Act for streams, wetlands) http://1.usa.gov/1lKTEwA
  • The Economic Case for Restoring Coastal Ecosystems; April 9, 9:30 - 11:30 AM ET; webcast or in person (Washington, DC) http://bit.ly/1mNjzsj
  • University of South Dakota's Missouri River Institute annual Research Symposium; April 10; USD campus in Vermillion bit.ly/1s7r0LZ
  • NRC Committee meeting: Beneficial Use of Graywater and Stormwater: An Assessment of Risks, Costs, and Benefits; April 16-17; Washington, DC http://bit.ly/OfCHjH
  • National Hydropower Association Annual Conference; April 28 - 30, Washington D.C. http://bit.ly/1mI9j4B
  • Great Connections 2014 (stormwater) Conference; April 29 – May 1, Radisson Quad City Plaza; Davenport, Iowa http://bit.ly/OdfUF7
  • The State of Water Conference 2014: Minnesotans Protecting Our Lakes and Rivers; May 1-2, Brainerd, MN http://bit.ly/N32Fat
  • USFWS Aquatic Nuisance Task Force meeting May 7 and May 8, Arlington, VA (Washington DC metro area).  Open to public http://bit.ly/1jvslbu
  • "Ensuring Water Quality in Your Watershed" workshop (Pennsylvania watersheds - statewide); Erie, Pa, June 12 http://bit.ly/1dQrNx7
  • National Conference on Mining-Influenced Waters: Approaches for Characterization, Source Control and Treatment, Albuquerque, NM, August 12-14 http://1.usa.gov/1mv22lH
  • 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Remediation 2014, Ferrara, Italy, September 17-19, 2014 http://www.sustrem2014.com/
e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -
Other news-
  • USDA ERS: number of people living in nonmetropolitan counties stood at 46.2 million in 2013; nearly 15% of US residents http://1.usa.gov/1dQUNV9
  • MN DNR Commissioner Landwehr tells Mississippi Headwaters Board saving waters and forests reaps economic gains http://bit.ly/1pWGAYI
  • National Geographic Society’s geotourism website will show tourists the experiences the Mississippi River can offer http://strib.mn/1i72qCX
Politics and People-
  • Fishers and Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi names Steve Sodeman and Jack Lauer as its new Co-Chairs http://bit.ly/1gnAUQm
  • Former state Sen. Gordon Howie - an independent candidate - is jumping into the South Dakota U.S. Senate race http://bit.ly/1dXBBFt
  • State Sen. Glenn Grothman will challenge incumbent Rep. Tom Petri in Wisconsin's 6th district GOP U.S. House primary http://bit.ly/1j9uIQq
Boy Scout Picnic
Last Word - "In South Central Nebraska, the drought of 2014 makes the drought of 2012 look like a Boy Scout picnic." - Adams County, Nebraska farmer.
April 1 Nebraska Drought Monitor Map
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