Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next

The U.S. House and Senate are both off next week, as they break for the July Fourth holiday.  But this week, Congress's halls were filled with several water-relevant hearings.  Notably, witnesses testifying before a House Subcommittee, along with Subcommittee members, expressed reservations regarding the clarity of the Obama Administration's proposed "Waters of the United States" rule, as that proposal continued to make headlines in the River region and in Washington, DC.  One particular water of the U.S. - that above the Louisiana and Texas continental shelf - will exhibit a hypoxic or "dead" zone this summer roughly the size of Connecticut, if things go as predicted earlier this week.   A series of political party primaries and a convention this past week chose candidates - mostly establishment candidates - for the upcoming, November mid-term election. There was widespread flooding in Iowa and Minnesota during the week.  And we also discovered that Minneapolis is a much less-stressful Mississippi River city to live in than New Orleans.  In this one, concise paragraph, we've summarized what else we learned over the past week (spoiler - bipartisanship looks awkward).

In Two Weeks
When the Senate returns on July 7, it is planning to begin consideration of the "Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014" (S. 2363), "to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting, and for other purposes." That bill is a package of 12 bills that include reauthorizations of federal programs to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and that would allow federal agencies to use revenues from land sales to acquire lands of higher conservation value. This Field and Stream article summarizes some of the key features of the bill, along with each of the section's current sponsors.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Fears of EPA ‘land grab’ create groundswell against water rule http://ow.ly/ykEnu
• Witnesses testifying before House Subcommittee raise concerns that proposed water rule will be misinterpreted ow.ly/yqu9K
• Cedar Rapids Gazette editorial: Who’s watching our waterways: Opinions differ on impact of Clean Water Act clarification http://ow.ly/ynT30
• Colorado brewery that makes the Fat Tire beer supports EPA effort to redefine bodies of water under its jurisdiction ow.ly/yqvpN
• Federal Register: EPA and Army Corps officially extend "Waters of the U.S." proposed rule comment period until October 20 http://ow.ly/ynSF4
• Archived USEPA Webinar Now Available on Waters of the U.S. Proposed Rule http://ow.ly/ytnrm
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency seeks proposals for projects to reduce nonpoint source pollution in the state ow.ly/ygnUc
• After reported dog death, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency advises dog owners to keep pets out of algae-laden waters http://ow.ly/yuffH

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

• Federal government denies that Army Corps of Engineers caused major Missouri River flooding

  

  Flooding at St. Paul, Minnesota,
  where the Mississippi River crested at
  the sixth highest recorded level

  affecting five states regularly since 2006 http://ow.ly/yoiTc 
• After massive fire, water-stressed Fritch, Tex. reels economically as lake dwindles (Arkansas River watershed) http://ow.ly/ygCOE
• Federal survey of water managers: respondents indicate that nearly every U.S. state will experience freshwater shortages within the next decade http://ow.ly/yohxp
• Vast Stretches of Minnesota Are Flooded as Swollen Rivers Overflow ow.ly/yqTMt
• President Obama pledges federal government recovery aid after massive flooding hits many parts of Minnesota http://ow.ly/yw2UU
• Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District provides technical, direct aid to communities following historic rain http://ow.ly/yw3QQ
• Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting: Aging water infrastructure ‘nearing the end of its useful life’ ow.ly/yqSyw

Agriculture -

• International team of scientists concludes regulation of pesticides has failed to prevent poisoning of nearly all habitats http://ow.ly/ynMJr
• The first of a new generation of genetically modified crops is poised to win U.S. government approval ow.ly/yqxoS
• Deciphering Key Provisions of the Agricultural Act of 2014: Conservation and the Farm Bill http://ow.ly/ykHtS
• Soil Renaissance Strategic Plan released at World Congress of Conservation Agriculture: strategies to advance soil health ow.ly/yqyg8
• U.S. farm income is expected to plummet 27 percent this year, driven largely by lower cash receipts from crops http://ow.ly/yvYn6

Climate and Weather -

• Average May land and ocean surface temperature was highest ever; 2014 shaping up as potentially
  
  hottest yet http://ow.ly/ynMuw
• NWS Climate Prediction Center: Drought to expand eastward into eastern Texas, western Louisiana by end of September http://ow.ly/ykIt9
• El Niño could direct much-needed rainfall back to parched western states, including Mississippi River Basin's Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas http://ow.ly/ynU7S
• Severe storms wreak havoc in northern part of Midwest, leaving livestock, crop operations in poor condition http://ow.ly/ykI3z
• NOAA drought update: Moderate to heavy rainfall reduced or eradicated Midwest and northern, central Oklahoma drought http://ow.ly/ytw3U
• NOAA Survey: Coastal Managers Concerned About Climate Change http://ow.ly/yp6mG
• Storms over the past week damaged thousands of crop acres in northwest Iowa, as farmers consider 
• replanting options http://ow.ly/ynVSl
• Democratic and Republican Senators seek to find common ground in the climate change debate ow.ly/yqQua

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• 20th-century Mississippi River re-engineering devastated a once-abundant populations of native river
  

  

  River shrimp,
  Macrobrachium ohione

  shrimp ow.ly/yqTsD
• White House announces federal strategy to reverse a rapid decline in the number of honey bees and other pollinators http://ow.ly/ykHPp
• Widespread impacts of neonicotinoids "conclusive" and "impossible to deny" http://ow.ly/yogMi
• Many plants marketed as beneficial to bees have been treated with insecticide some scientists believe to be harmful to bee colonies http://ow.ly/ytpGH
• Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee releases 014 Asian carp control strategy framework ow.ly/yqz14 
• Obama administration to extend comment period for three proposals to clarify how it designates and protects threatened and endangered species critical habitat http://ow.ly/ygPE2 
• Palmer amaranth weed in five Iowa counties on the state’s border has the power to choke state’s economy, environment http://ow.ly/ykIIB
• Fish and Wildlife Service delays disputed proposed protections for wide-ranging Eastern bat afflicted by fungus ow.ly/yrGgk
• "How To Talk To Fish" http://ow.ly/yw0II (including a catfish section!)

In the Cities -

• U.S. Conference of Mayors approve resolution urging Congress to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund http://ow.ly/ynZec (Conference of Mayors' 82nd Annual Meeting web site: http://ow.ly/ynZHj)

In the States-

• Environmental Law and Policy Center launches website to showcase Minnesota water conservation challenges, successes http://ow.ly/yw4sD
• Kentucky proposes new permitting coal mine rules aimed at resolving federal concerns; strengthening stream protection http://ow.ly/yoeLQ
• Environment Illinois: 6.1 million pounds of toxic releases occurred into Illinois' streams in 2012 http://ow.ly/ygXoj

Connecticut

Louisiana Coastal Region-

• LUMCON media release: 2014 Hypoxic (Dead Zone) Predicted To Be Nearly the Size of Connecticut  http://ow.ly/yvXcx
• Scientists predict that the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone" will end up being about its average size this year ow.ly/yqPfA
• Houma Today editorial: Gulf dead zone another reminder of threats upstream http://ow.ly/yw3zA

Forestry -

• U.S. Forest Service report: Climate change has left mark on Minnesota's forests, prompting need for forest management practice changes http://ow.ly/ylgzX
• University of Tennessee receives $200,322 USDA grant to investigate the benefit and health of urban trees in green infrastructure installations http://ow.ly/yulot

Resource Development -

• White House threatens to veto cross-border energy infrastructure project streamlining bill (H.R. 3301) http://ow.ly/yp5yC -also see below
• House passes H.R. 3301 - bill to replace permits for border-crossing energy infrastructure projects (i.e., Keystone XL pipeline) ow.ly/yqr8V
• Government has failed to conduct key inspections on 1,401 new oil and gas wells on federal and Native American land http://ow.ly/yofX7 (see figure to the right)
• Over 2,600 oil and natural gas wells were completed in Oklahoma last year; boom fueled by horizontal drilling http://ow.ly/yojG8
• Minnesota appeals court upholds county decision that no environmental impact statement is needed for controversial frac sand mine http://ow.ly/yoikM

Federal Budget -

• Coalition of outdoor and conservation groups urges robust funding for wildlife refuges ow.ly/yqOMH

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

• Natural Areas Association's 41st Annual Natural Areas Conference, re: Natural areas in North America; Dayton, Ohio; October 15-17 http://ow.ly/ypgxd

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency River Connections for June 2014 http://ow.ly/ygDct
• Bi-weekly Green Lands Blue Waters update, highlighting continuous living cover on Mississippi River Basin agricultural land http://ow.ly/ygRTx
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's June 24 TUWaterWays e-newsletter ow.ly/yrDwv (PDF file)

Other news-

• House Science, Space and Technology Committee approves "Secret Science Reform Act" bill; Committee release: http://ow.ly/yp4cV (bill page: http://ow.ly/yp4qZ)
• House Agriculture Subcommittee holds public hearing to review credit availability in rural America  http://ow.ly/ytikc
• CNNMoney’s ranking of most (and least) stressed out U.S. cities finds New Orleans, Memphis near top; Minneapolis less-stressed http://ow.ly/yuvkv

Politics and People-

• Former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) dies at 88 n.pr/1mydQ8V
• Oklahoma Third District Congressman and Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas cruises to easy GOP primary victory ow.ly/yquDm
• Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.) wins Oklahoma Senate primary, making him the odds-on November favorite ow.ly/yqpLH
• Former Rep. Bob Beauprez clinches the GOP nomination for Colorado governor in Tuesday primary ow.ly/yqpj5
• Incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) orchestrates stunning comeback over primary challenger Chris McDaniel (R) ow.ly/yqoz9
• "The Bizarro World Of Iowa’s GOP Convention" ow.ly/ynM3x 
• David Young, former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, is surprise victor in GOP Iowa 3rd District primary race http://ow.ly/ykFRp

Last Word -

At least 90 percent water

“Beer is, after all, at least 90 percent water.” - Andrew Lemley, government affairs representative for the New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, Colorado, testifying in support of the Obama Administration's proposed “Waters of the United States” rule, at a Tuesday hearing of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power.  Lemley added, “We depend on clean water for our success.”

What We Learned This Week - Bipartisanship Looks Awkward

Des Moines Art Center - The Scene of the Crime

Opinions continue to differ widely on the impact of the Obama Administration's proposed and contentious Clean Water Act clarification rule.  Many Republicans and some industry officials portray it as a federal government "land grab."  Other industry representatives think the rule is essential for economic success.  The Administration doesn't believe that the actions of the Army Corps of Engineers caused major Missouri River flooding in recent years. Scientists predict that the northern Gulf of Mexico's summer "dead zone" will end up being about average-sized this year. Speaking of average, May's global temperature was the most above-average "average" ever measured.  So farmland will likely continue to shift northward, as global warming impacts agriculture.  The silver lining is that the agricultural industry, while clearly affected by climate change, is also very well equipped to manage those risks.  Herbicide-resistant weeds are on the rise - first reported in the 1950s, soon after farmers began using major synthetic herbicides. Regulation of chemicals used, in part, to control those weeds, has failed to prevent the contamination of nearly every habitat worldwide. The first of the next generation of genetically modified crops has arrived - along with controversy.  Mothers exposed to farm pesticides during pregnancy are more likely to have children with autism-related disorders and developmental delays.  The widespread adverse ecological impacts of neonicotinoid pesticides are now "conclusive" and  "impossible to deny."  Many plants being marketed as beneficial to bees have been treated with neonicotinoids.  Vast stretches of Minnesota are under water from river and stream flooding. Recent summer storms flooded thousands of acres in northwestern Iowa - turning soy and corn fields into jet ski centers - as farmers consider replanting options.  In the longer term, weather conditions are expected to benefit crops.  After a long, sweltering Saturday session, an Iowa Republican convention chose the least popular candidate as their Congressional nominee. Tuesday night's primary vote results were generally good for the GOP establishment and great for incumbents, like Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran.   Congressional bipartisanship may not be totally dead after all, as Democratic and Republican Senators seek to find common ground in the climate change debate - but holding hands and singing certainly look awkward.  Want to be less-stressed?  Live in Minneapolis - not New Orleans.  And last but not least, the Des Moines, Iowa Police Department doesn't have enough tiny handcuffs.

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

The House is expected to vote this week on H.R. 3301, a bill that would replace the current system of open-ended executive branch permits for border-crossing energy infrastructure (such as the Keystone XL pipeline) with "certificates of crossing" issued within 120 days.  H.R. 3301 would streamline the approval process for the construction, connection, operation or maintenance of oil pipelines, natural gas pipelines, and electric transmission lines at the national boundary of the United States (Including exempting the cross-border decision from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review).  The Senate may vote as early as this week on S. 2363 ("to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting, and for other purposes"), a package of 12 bills that include reauthorizations of federal programs to conserve wetlands for waterfowl and that would allow federal agencies to use revenues from land sales to acquire lands of higher conservation value.

Below are the other U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for the week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources.  Links are provided to the relevant committee pages on the Internet, and, where appropriate, to pieces of legislation. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link).  All times are Eastern.  This page will be updated as warranted.

Monday

• House Rules Committee meeting to set the rules for full House debate on H.R. 3301 (see description, above); 5:00 PM, room H-313 The Capitol.

Tuesday

• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security mark-up of  Fiscal Year 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations bill (includes FEMA funding); 10:00 AM, room SD-138 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. 
• House Science, Space and Technology Committee mark-up of H.R. 4012, "Secret Science Reform Act of 2014," a bill to "prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible;" 10:00 AM, room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power Oversight hearing on “New Federal Schemes to Soak Up Water Authority: Impacts on States, Water Users, Recreation, and Jobs;” 10:00 AM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold an executive session to consider S. 2444, the Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016; 2:30 PM, room 253 Russell Senate Office Building.
• House Rules Committee meeting to set the rules for full House debate on H.R. 4923—Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015; 3:00 PM, room H-313 The Capitol.

Wednesday

• House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit hearing on credit availability in rural America; 10:00 AM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building. 
• Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management, Intergovernmental Relations, and the District of Columbia hearing on The Path to Efficiency: Making FEMA More Effective for Streamlined Disaster Operations; 2:30 PM, room SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee hearing on S.1971, the "Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2014;" 2:30 PM, room 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation oversight hearing on "Increasing Carbon Soil Sequestration on Public Lands;" 2:00 PM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next

Here is the link to a one-paragraph summary of what we learned this past week; a week in which an algal bloom research bill passed Congress, but also one when partisanship, a veto threat and specious amendments stalled an already moribund Federal appropriations process (also see below, under "Federal Budget").  And here a link to next week's Mississippi River Basin-related Congressional schedule, one packed relatively full with hearings and bill mark-ups, including a bill to "prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible," and a hearing on “new Federal schemes to soak up water authority."  (It's not that we're counting, but there are 136 days until the U.S. mid-term elections, and only about 32 of those days will be active legislative days on the House calendar).

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• LEAD STORY: House Ag Committee members challenge USDA role in proposed Clean Water Act rule as Senators draft bill to block it http://ow.ly/yfVkM
• LEAD STORY: Senate Republicans introduce bill to block EPA's proposed clarification of the Clean Water Act jurisdiction http://ow.ly/yfTRY (bill link: http://ow.ly/yfTX1)
• LEAD STORY: USDA finds little support for Clean Water Act agricultural practices interpretive rule on either side of the aisle http://ow.ly/yej7r
• House Agriculture Subcommittee Examines Impact of EPA Water Rule on Agricultural Producers (Committee release and links to testimony) http://ow.ly/yewcv
• Senate unanimously passes legislation to study and combat algae blooms, sends it to President for signature http://ow.ly/ydreF
• EPA's April 7 webinar on the Waters of the U.S. proposed rule has been posted online http://ow.ly/ydqqm
• MPR News: Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program rewards farmers who keep pollutants from waterways http://ow.ly/xZmIX
• New USGS report on elevated surface water dissolved solids concentrations; dominant sources contributing to high TDS http://ow.ly/y7Ql9 (see related webinar under "Events")
• House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.): EPA Waters of the United States rule will “drown” farmers in regulations http://ow.ly/y7SMS
• Los Angeles Times editorial board calls proposed "Waters of the U.S." Clean Water Act jurisdiction rule "sensible" http://ow.ly/ydwME
• New study identifies five Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota metro lakes in need of restoration or protection http://ow.ly/y7VXX
• Cities like Des Moines often send nitrate downstream after removing it from drinking water through treatment http://ow.ly/y8IhJ
• WildEarth Guardians lawsuit charges Western Sugar with polluting the South Platte River http://ow.ly/yaTf7
• Missouri Attorney General files suit against Tyson Foods over state costs, natural resource damages from fish kill http://ow.ly/yb1ig (also see: http://ow.ly/yb1Dc)
• Blue-Green Algae Blooms Appearing in Southern Wisconsin Lakes, Will Continue Northward http://t.co/HKYgVPVYu3
• Harmful algal blooms making "comeback" in Kentucky waters http://ow.ly/ydEQu
• Spring 2014 Hypoxia Task Force Public Meeting website has been updated with presentations from the meeting http://ow.ly/ygVvY

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

• Interested parties can access community-specific FEMA Preliminary Flood Hazard Data at this site: http://ow.ly/yfSsz
• Minnesota River keeps on rising; expected to crest at 27.5 feet by next Monday in Jordan http://ow.ly/y8HsR
• Army Corps reduces releases from Gavins Point Dam following heavy rain across parts of the Missouri River Basin http://ow.ly/yaQOH
• Department of Energy report: Problems with water scarcity and uncertainty are becoming more prominent http://ow.ly/ydqPC

Agriculture -

• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service: Agricultural Land Values Final Estimates 2009-13 http://ow.ly/yfW4R
• Weekly USDA Column: Local Markets, Local Growth http://ow.ly/xZjOD focuses on work to boost local food economies http://ow.ly/xZkeG
• World Resources Institute's second and third papers in  3-part series on better targeting of U.S. farm conservation funds http://ow.ly/y7U3o (Related webinar on Thursday, June 26,  noon to 1:30 pm EDT http://ow.ly/y7UnI)
• USDA Natural Resource Conservation to begin accepting applications to re-enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program on July 11 http://ow.ly/y82oJ
• Application for nearly 2,500-head hog confinement feeding operation in Iowa stirs up opposition http://ow.ly/y85Bv
• Senate Agriculture Committee hosts hearing showcasing homegrown biobased products and companies that make them http://ow.ly/yaHVh
• EPA likely will not issue final 2014 Renewable Fuels Standard volume requirements this week as the agency had planned http://ow.ly/yfWrL

Climate and Weather -

• NOAA National Drought Summary: Great Plains conditions unchanged; significant Midwest drought  improvement, although long-term precipitation deficits linger in west-central Iowa http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• EPA officially publishes Obama administration's climate rule in Federal Register, kicking off 120-day comment period http://ow.ly/ydp1K

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• American burying beetles in Missouri may be "digging" their way off the endangered species list http://ow.ly/y83Mg



An adult male of the fish-eating Ancylometes genus

• Environmental groups file lawsuit challenging Interior Department listing of lesser prairie chicken as "threatened" instead of "endangered" http://ow.ly/yaP9i
• Western Illinois University faculty researching ways to mitigate Asian carp in the upper Mississippi River basin http://ow.ly/yaRoN
• Wisconsin DNR expects that Upper Mississippi River habitat restoration project will wrap up by September http://ow.ly/yaSrd
• Fish-eating spiders reported worldwide (except Antarctica), including hatchery rearing ponds in Oklahoma and Tennessee http://ow.ly/ye5rm (direct link to journal article: http://ow.ly/ye5Ak)

In the Cities -

• Kansas City, MO http://ow.ly/yaDuR Springfield, IL http://ow.ly/yaDyj Louisville, KY http://ow.ly/yaDAw make livability.com list of top ten green cities
• Chattanooga leaders want to accelerate adoption of new stormwater standards to improve green infrastructure practices http://ow.ly/yaEac
• Movement hopes to transform New Orleans from a city that recoils from water to one that embraces it http://ow.ly/yaEvI

Louisiana Coastal Region-

• Louisiana: one of the fastest disappearing land masses on earth: "a landscape and a way of life on  borrowed time" http://ow.ly/y8H2w
• Op-ed: Louisiana shrimp season threatened by dead zone fueled by US ethanol policy  http://ow.ly/y8HTX
• Here's a "drone's eye view" of New Orleans, Louisiana http://ow.ly/y7TDI (go here for interactive worldwide drone video map: http://ow.ly/y7THM)
• Scientists to release 4 torpedo-like, remote-controlled gliders into northern Gulf of Mexico to measure oxygen levels http://ow.ly/ydEqN

Federal Budget -

• Senate deadlocks over  three-bill appropriations package (including USDA and NOAA funding) after Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) insists that amendments clear a 60-vote threshold http://ow.ly/yfTq6
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development advances Army Corps' FY 2015 spending bill http://ow.ly/y8W1M - includes  $5.134 billion: increase of $601 million above President's budget request (subsequently, the full Committee markup scheduled for Thursday was cancelled)
• Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski delays action on key water and energy appropriations bill in the face of partisanship http://ow.ly/yfQYU
• White House veto threat led Senate Democratic appropriators to put energy-water spending bill on hold http://ow.ly/yeiCp
• House Appropriations Committee passes $34 billion spending bill for Army Corps of Engineers, Dept of Energy, other agencies http://ow.ly/ydrHX

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

• Webinar: Analyzing the Water-Energy Nexus: Case Studies that Examine Connection; June 30, 2-3:30 PM EDT http://ow.ly/y7S5R
• USGS Webinar: Human Actions Increase Salt Content in many of the Nation's Streams; July 22, 1-2:30 PM EDT register: http://ow.ly/y7QCu
• 2014 Water Education Summit: Think Globally - Act Locally; September 8-10, Asheville, NC www.h2osummit.org/

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• 1 Mississippi campaign June Newsletter – Neighborhood Water Watch http://ow.ly/yfUqj
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Waterfront Bulletin for June 2014  http://ow.ly/xZlV1
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's June 12 http://ow.ly/xZkNQ and June 19  http://ow.ly/yfT6k Watershed News 
• The Horinko Group's June 2014 "Sustainabulletin" http://ow.ly/ydtz8
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy June 17 "TUWaterWays" e-newsletter http://ow.ly/ydG98
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Watershed Network News - June 19 http://ow.ly/ydNEI

Other news-

• Scroll down this eleven-foot, 1866 Mississippi River map: http://ow.ly/y8ITP
• In U.S. and Canada, trains hauling crude oil from production hot spots like North Dakota’s Bakken region are spilling in record numbers http://ow.ly/yaCnN
• Newly published global Nielsen data indicate that significant percentage of consumers care about company social responsibility http://ow.ly/ydxpa
• America’s Waterway Blog: "Imagining the Internet & the Mississippi River" http://ow.ly/yewBG

Politics and People-

• Over a nine-day House Whip race, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.-1) cashed in on years of network building to win leadership position http://ow.ly/yfS0I and http://ow.ly/yfQ7U
• Six Republicans will face off next Tuesday after struggling to break through in primary race for open Oklahoma 5th District U.S. House seat http://ow.ly/yfUQb
• Businessperson Zach Dasher (R) announces he will run for Louisiana’s 5th District U.S. House seat http://ow.ly/y7PQ9
• Congressional job approval at 16%, on pace to be lowest in midterm election year since Gallup first measured in 1974 http://goo.gl/jE5YSU
• Control of U.S. Senate might not be decided until a Saturday three weeks before Christmas - in Louisiana runoff vote http://ow.ly/ydqjr
• GOP candidates for Iowa’s 3rd U.S. House District scramble for 513 delegates who vote Saturday for party’s nominee http://ow.ly/yg9NT

Last Word -

Photo (circa 1920) of a Mountaineer: Courtesy Kenneth
King West Virginia and Regional History Collection

"Montani semper liberi" (Mountaineers are always free) - the West Virginia state motto.  On June 20 in 1863 West Virginia (the "Mountain State") became the 35th state in the United States.

What We Learned This Week - Oh Canada!

The summer's warming weather has ushered in the return of blue-green algal blooms in the Midwest, in areas like Southern Wisconsin and Kentucky.   Just in time for that algal reprise, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed legislation to study and combat algae blooms, sending it to President for his signature.   Partisanship and amendments bogged down progress on Federal appropriations bills.  Which may explain why the current U.S. congressional job approval rating of 16 percent is on pace to be lowest in any midterm election year since Gallup first began measuring the approval in 1974.  U.S. House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves of Missouri believes that the Obama Administration's Waters of the United States proposed rule would “drown” farmers in regulations.   Senate Republicans agree, and introduced legislation to block the Obama administration's proposed clarification of the Clean Water Act's jurisdiction.  But the Los Angeles Times editorial board disagrees with the Senators, calling the proposed Clean Water Act jurisdiction rule "sensible."    American burying beetles in Rep. Grave's home state may be  "digging" their way off the endangered species list.  Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise cashed in on his extensive network to win the vaunted House Whip leadership position, but it was really only a tryout for the next GOP House leadership vote, which will be held after the November midterm election.  Scalise's Louisiana First District will be a bit smaller by then, being one of the fastest disappearing land masses on the Earth.  Midwestern cities like Des Moines, Iowa often remove nitrates from their drinking water sources, only to discharge them into the same water sources, sending them downstream. Western Illinois University faculty are studying ways to slow the inevitable spread of invasive Asian carp in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. There are fish-eating spiders in every continent that is not named "Antarctica," and they have been found in hatchery rearing ponds in Oklahoma and Tennessee. Chattanooga, Tennessee and New Orleans, Louisiana are trying to green themselves by managing stormwater more wisely, but Kansas City, Missouri, Springfield, Illinois, and Louisville, Kentucky are very green already.  Trains hauling crude oil from production hot spots like North Dakota’s Bakken and the Alberta, Canada tar sands regions are spilling their contents at record rates.  And - speaking of Canada - last but not least, the United States has no plans to invade its neighbor to the north - it's official.

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

Below are the U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for this week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources.  The House is recessed on Monday, June 16.  But the Senate will be in session beginning Monday afternoon, and at some point during the week, the full Senate is expected to take up a spending "minibus" bill package funding the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development for fiscal year 2015.  Links are provided to the relevant committee pages on the Internet, and, where appropriate, to pieces of legislation. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link at the scheduled hearing time).  All times are Eastern.  This page will be updated as warranted.

Tuesday

• Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee Markup of the fiscal year 2015 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill; 10:00 AM, room SD-192 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry hearing entitled “Grow it Here, Make it Here: Creating Jobs through Bio-Based Manufacturing;" 10:00 AM, room 328A Russell Senate Office Building.

Wednesday

• House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation hearing on Maintaining Coast Guard Readiness; 9:30 AM, room 2253 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Committee mark up of FY 2015 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill;10:00 AM; room 2359 Rayburn House Office Building.
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting to consider pending nominations (including Suzette M. Kimball to be Director of the United States Geological Survey, Monica C. Regalbuto to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Environmental Management)), and pending legislation (including S. 1800, a bill to require the Secretary of the Interior to submit to Congress a report on the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation to manage its infrastructure assets, and "an original bill to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline"), 10:30 AM, room SD-366 Senate Dirksen Office Building. 
• Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety hearing entitled, “Climate Change: The Need to Act Now;” 10:00 AM, room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Thursday

• House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry hearing on the Interpretive Rule regarding the applicability of Clean Water Act agricultural exemptions; 10:00 AM; room 1300 Longworth House Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Committee markup of the FY 2015 Energy and Water Development; State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill 10:30 AM (tentative), room SD-106 Dirksen Senate Office Building.  POSTPONED (Committee will still mark up two other bills, but not the Water and Energy spending bill)

Friday

• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Legislative hearing on legislation (H.R. 4293 and H.R. 1587), concerning approval of natural gas pipelines on Federal and Indian land; 9:30 AM, room 1334 Longworth House Office Building.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next

This past week saw a massive water resources bill signed into law by President Obama - the Water

June 10 Water Resources Reform and Development Act
Signature Ceremony

Resources Reform and Development Act; a bill authorizing numerous Mississippi River Basin construction and restoration projects, and studies (for a summary of those Basin projects, see here). In addition to that water bill being put to rest, several new water-related bills were introduced during the week (details below) and a rider was attached to House spending bill that would effectively block implementation of an Obama Administration-proposed rule clarifying Clean Water Act jurisdiction; a rule for which the EPA and Army Corps found little support during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on Wednesday. Next week looks to be a fairly busy week legislatively in the U.S. Congress, with the Senate poised to consider a combined package of three 2015 spending bills, and several hearings and meetings on the calendar that relate to the River Basin's water resources. For a one-paragraph summary of the week gone by, you can read "What We Learned This Week - Water Divides; Seersucker Unites." And here is an overview of what to expect next week.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Republicans, Administration officials trade differing opinions during Clean Water Act proposal hearing http://ow.ly/xThzR
• House proposed energy and water spending bill would block Army Corps from working to redefine Clean Water Act jurisdiction ow.ly/xPliA
• EPA and Army Corp’s Clean Water Act jurisdiction rule takes bipartisan beating before House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee http://ow.ly/xUVfH
• EPA will extend the comment period for the Proposed Rule on the Definition of Waters of the U.S. for 91 days, until October 20 ow.ly/xQGXd
• FDA and EPA issue updated draft advice for fish consumption ow.ly/xQHOv
• House passes bill "To amend the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research" sending it on to President (news article) ow.ly/xPo6y and (bill web site) ow.ly/xPnHH
• Illinois becomes first state to ban microbeads, the nonbiodegradable plastic particles used in personal care products ow.ly/xPnki
• House Ag Subcommittee to hold June 19 hearing on the applicability of Clean Water Act agricultural exemptions Interpretive Rule http://ow.ly/xV1Rh
• Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) introduces "Highway Runoff Management Act," S. 2457 http://ow.ly/xV0hE (link to bill: http://ow.ly/xV0tH)
• House members introduce bill to limit EPA's power to revoke permits for farmers, miners, others working near a waterway http://ow.ly/xXUiw (Here's Rep. Gibb's media release: http://ow.ly/xXVTi)

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

• Supreme Court announces that it will hear oral arguments in a long-standing water dispute between Kansas and Nebraska ow.ly/xPmAF
• Tuesday President Barack Obama signed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 http://ow.ly/xSxi6 and ow.ly/xQFMC
• Interior Secretary Jewell announces $17.8 million for Western U.S. water projects, including projects in Missouri River Basin http://ow.ly/xSUg4
• Army Corps reports above average May runoff in the Missouri River Basin http://ow.ly/xSWUT
• Water levels worry property owners across Central Minnesota http://ow.ly/xVbmm
• After the Mississippi River levee breach: Three years later, signs of damage remain in Bootheel counties (Missouri) http://ow.ly/xV9fn

Agriculture -

• 35 groups urge House and Senate appropriations leaders to reverse cuts to key farm bill conservation provisions http://ow.ly/xUWWw
• Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoes 10 tax break bills that he said jeopardized the state budget, including measure providing tax breaks for farmers markets http://ow.ly/xUQnT  
• Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality seeks public comment on prohibition on new,

  

  American agriculture in 1922 (click to enlarge)

  confined hog-feeding operations around Buffalo River  http://ow.ly/xSSAw
• Corn production needs to be more sustainable, environmental investor group Ceres says http://ow.ly/xVaoq
• 40 maps, graphs and charts that explain the agriculture-food system in the U.S. http://ow.ly/xSHqI  
• US corn farmers increase pesticide use as they increasingly worry some insects are becoming resistant to genetically modified crops ow.ly/xW3uM
• USDA: Over 60 percent of U.S. corn farmers planted Bt (GMO) corn in 2010 in response to threat of highly localized insect infestations http://ow.ly/xY3z5

Climate and Weather -

• Climate Change Creates New Farming Risks ow.ly/xQJkv
• Days of "king corn" could be numbered as climate change brings higher temperatures and water shortages to U.S. farmland http://ow.ly/xSW7u 

  

  June 10 Drought Monitor Map
  (click to enlarge)

• Michigan State University research on climate change and agriculture finds that too much fertilizer may enhance global warming http://ow.ly/xSz0B
• How El Niño will change the world's weather in 2014 http://t.co/2yfDxSv0QL 
• NOAA drought update: Rains prompt removal or reduction of drought across much of the Midwest and Central Great Plains, moderate drought in Tennessee http://ow.ly/xVaKi

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Lead shot used by Upper Midwest hunters getting into bald eagles' digestive tracts, according to a two-year study by the US Fish and Wildlife Service http://ow.ly/xSYcP
• Roll Call: “Will President Barack Obama save the honeybees and monarch butterflies?" ow.ly/xPk7Z
• "Asian carp, from mouth to tail" http://ow.ly/xSKPv
• Wisconsin researchers plan to test biological pesticide that could stop spread of invasive zebra mussels in state http://ow.ly/xW2Kk
• Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan have teamed up for a public service campaign to encourage boaters and anglers to avoid spreading aquatic invaders when they travel between states http://ow.ly/xXQag
• House Republicans want extended public comment period on proposed rule to significantly update Endangered Species Act http://ow.ly/xUZwn
• Oil and gas groups file lawsuits in two federal district courts, launching legal attack on Interior's lesser prairie chicken listing http://ow.ly/xXYtR

In the Cities -

• Chattanooga, Tennessee drinking water gets an 'A,' advocacy group calls for a more stringent standard http://ow.ly/xSShq
• Vidalia, Louisiana Mayor, others call on Congress to support efforts to better protect Mississippi River http://ow.ly/xV9xw http://ow.ly/xV9AK (also see below, under "Louisiana Coastal Region")

Louisiana Coastal Region-

• Group pushes Louisiana coastal restoration at DC meeting, but doesn't mention now banned oil industry lawsuit http://ow.ly/xVagz
• Louisiana Gov. signs bill to end levee authority lawsuit brought against oil and gas companies for coastal damage ow.ly/xPn8U
• Louisiana leaders are in Washington, DC seeking more resources to restore Mississippi River and Louisiana's coastline http://ow.ly/xV8y2
• One of the five Gulf Coast states is blocking release of $627 million that BP has set aside for third phase of early restoration projects http://ow.ly/xVvoQ
• Climate change a threat to New Orleans region, environmental groups and elected officials warn ow.ly/xHNWw
• Inaction feeds crisis over Mississippi River, Louisiana Delta loss, environmentalists say http://ow.ly/xVa37

Forestry -

• Cottonwood comeback: Project aims to reforest floodplain along what only free-flowing stretch of Missouri River in North Dakota http://ow.ly/xSJka
• Disturbances that change forest biogeochemical  inputs may affect how aquatic ecosystems function and deliver services vital to humans http://ow.ly/xSOwu

Resource Development -

• Weizmann Institute of Science researchers develop hybrid enzyme that is fast and efficient in converting plant cellulose into sugars useful as biofuel precursors http://ow.ly/xVz6y
• For Minnesota's pristine wetlands, N.D. oil boom is new threat http://ow.ly/xSR8u
• Federal judge orders Exxon Mobil Corp. to produce documents about Mayflower, Ark. pipeline that ruptured last year http://ow.ly/xTink

Federal Budget -

• Further House consideration of fiscal year 2015 Agriculture appropriations bill has been postponed for at least two weeks http://ow.ly/xY30w
• Before pausing, the House approves drought relief, invasive pest amendments to its fiscal year 2015 agriculture appropriations bill http://ow.ly/xUZYT
• White House threatens to veto House 2015 fiscal year agriculture spending bill http://ow.ly/xSNHN
• Next week full Senate will debate spending ‘minibus’ package funding the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development http://ow.ly/xV1mB
• House Appropriations Committee releases fiscal year 2015 Energy and Water Development spending bill ow.ly/xPg6X
• House Appropriations subcommittee moves fiscal 2015 water and energy spending bill to full committee ow.ly/xQGmo (news article) ow.ly/xQG9N (committee web site)

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

• American Farmland Trust webinar on USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program; June 16 at 11 a.m. EDT http://ow.ly/xUW8d register: http://ow.ly/xUVYN
• EPA will host a webcast on explaining and reporting on harmful algal blooms to the public; June 18, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT http://ow.ly/xUYkk
• Webinar: Wetland Landscapes – Techniques for Spatial Definition and Ecological Assessment; June 18, 3:00 p.m. EDT ow.ly/xVyak
• Interstate Water Compacts: Legal and Environmental Challenges - A Free Webinar; June 19, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET http://ow.ly/xSLsM
• The 2014 St. Croix RiverFest; July 12-17, Hudson, WI http://ow.ly/xXRH2
• St. Croix River - River Awareness Week; July 12-20 ow.ly/xXRj7

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota's "BALMM Currents" for June 11 http://ow.ly/xSAo1
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Industrial Stormwater News: June 2014 http://ow.ly/xSHTS
• EPA Climate Change and Water News newsletter for June 6 http://ow.ly/xSJXL
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Feedlot Update - June 12 ow.ly/xW3MU
• Latest issue of Aquatic Sciences Center's Aquatic Sciences Chronicle  (University of Wisconsin-Madison) http://ow.ly/xY0zU

Other news-

• David Suzuki: Destroying environment is bad for the planet but it’s often good for business http://ow.ly/xSUIJ
• New Arkansas state park introduces visitors to Mississippi River http://ow.ly/xV8T9
• Some two-dozen federal agencies will publish their semiannual regulatory agendas on June 13, including USDA: http://j.mp/1hNASZr EPA: http://j.mp/1s9oUOk DOI: http://j.mp/1ppaEyN

Politics and People-

• Pew Research Center: Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines than at any point in recent history http://ow.ly/xVsDF

Last Word -

Syncrude Mildred Lake upgrade refinery

"After seeing it in person, it seems like a really bad idea," photographer and pilot Alex MacLean told HuffPost of the Keystone XL pipeline after flying above the tar sands that will supply oil to the project. MacLean added, "It looks like really organized bad behavior on a large scale, for what the implications are."

What We Learned This Week - Water Divides; Seersucker Unites

Senators wearing seersucker suits pose for a group photo in
the Capitol (June, 2011)

President Barack Obama signed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 into law.  There isn't much support in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the Administration's proposed rule clarifying Clean Water Act jurisdiction, and a House spending bill rider would effectively block the rule's implementation.  In other blockage news, Reps. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) and Nick Rahall (D-W.V.) introduced legislation that would limit the EPA's power to revoke permits for work happening in or near waterways.   Bill interrupted - further House consideration of its fiscal year 2015 Agriculture appropriations bill has been postponed for at least two weeks, while Republicans sort out who the next Majority Leader will be.  Before pausing, the House approved several amendments to the bill, including drought relief and invasive pest amendments.  Several organizations and elected officials went to Washington DC to push for Louisiana coastal restoration, but didn't mention that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed a bill earlier in the week to end a levee authority's lawsuit against oil and gas companies for coastal wetland damages.  Projects have been funded to reforest the Missouri River floodplain along its only free-flowing North Dakota stretch, which is good, because new research finds that disturbances to forests and their biogeochemistry adversely impact aquatic ecosystems function and services vital to people.  Farmers markets in Missouri can't catch a (tax) break thanks to a Governor's veto. Michigan State University research on climate change and agriculture finds that too much fertilizer may enhance global warming. But the scorecard may eventually be evened, since the days of "king corn" in the Corn Belt appear to be numbered by climate change.  There is a 90 percent chance that the world's weather could get wilder this upcoming year, and it's all the fault of a "little boy."  Over 60 percent of U.S. corn farmers planted genetically-modified Bt corn in 2010 in response to threats of highly localized insect infestations.  More recently, U.S. corn farmers are increasing pesticide use as they worry that some insects are becoming resistant to genetically modified crops.  The Army Corps of Engineers reports that snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains has fueled above-average May runoff in the Missouri River Basin, but that reservoirs will handle the increased volume. So don't worry - unless you happen to be in the Mississippi River Basin in Central Minnesota, where streams are running high, and it continues to rain.  Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines than at any point in recent history, but not when it comes to National Seersucker Day. And last but not least, although destroying the environment may be bad for the planet, it’s often good for business.

Capitol Hill Next Week - What to Watch For

The U.S. House is back from its recess this week, beginning a stretch of seven weeks of legislative activity over the subsequent eight weeks (both the House and Senate will take time off for the Fourth of July U.S. holiday).  Below are the House and Senate activities currently scheduled for the rest of the week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources (no such meetings occurred yesterday). Links are provided to the relevant committee Internet pages. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link). All times are Eastern.  This page will be updated as warranted.


Tuesday

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Mark Up of Fiscal Year 2015 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill; 8:45 AM; room 2362-B Rayburn House Office Building (link to bill here).
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Land and Environmental Regulation Legislative Hearing on a variety of bills, including H.R. 4029 "to require the Secretary of the Interior to transfer all Federal land, facilities, and any other assets associated with the Ozark National Scenic Riverways to the State of Missouri for the purposes of maintaining a State park;" 10:00 AM; room 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
• House Committee on Rules will meet to consider rules for the full House consideration several measures, including H.R. 4800—Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015; 3:00 PM, room H-313 The Capitol.

Wednesday

• House Appropriations Committee mark-up of FY 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill (includes FEMA); and Revised Report on the Suballocation of Budget Allocations for FY 2015, 9:00 AM, room 2359 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing on “Potential Impacts of Proposed Changes to the Clean Water Act Jurisdictional Rule;” 10:00 AM; room 2167 Rayburn House Office Building.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next
This is what we learned this past week (spoiler alert - the cow did it), and this is what's coming up next week in Congress, when both the House and Senate will be in session during the same week for the first time in awhile.  And below are the top items that we could cull from the past week's news relating to Mississippi River Basin water resource issues.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• LEAD STORY: Federal judge finds that Alpha Natural Resources subsidiaries impacted regulated waters in West Virginia, damaging aquatic life http://ow.ly/xHuAb
• Reps. Robert Gibbs (R-Ohio), Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) plan to introduce bill next week to limit EPA's permit veto power under Clean Water Act http://ow.ly/xHvcc
• Food and agriculture groups request more time to comment on EPA’s proposed rule on Waters of the United States http://ow.ly/xwimw
• Cow is suspected of causing spill of natural gas liquids near a tributary of the Little Missouri River, North Dakota http://ow.ly/xwKnb
• High levels of nitrates present in Hastings, Minnesota drinking water and area's groundwater source http://ow.ly/xC4ki
• 2013 Triennial Review of Minnesota's Water Quality Standards is now complete (scroll down in the article) http://ow.ly/xERK9
• Oil giant BP PLC must pay Clean Water Act fines for the Deepwater Horizon disaster, an appeals court rules http://ow.ly/xFPQ4

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

• Long-term water master plan suggests that Lincoln, Nebraska diversify and develop well field near Missouri River http://ow.ly/xzv61
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources seeks public comment on proposed changes to Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area rules http://ow.ly/xzwL3
• Hoge Island residents (near Bismark, ND) reject plan to build $1.6 million Missouri River levee http://ow.ly/xBZIb
• Private investment may be another avenue to wetlands restoration; Wetland foundation pushing for more http://ow.ly/xF1io

Agriculture -

• Farmers, ranchers and landowners may now sign up for USDA's Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) http://ow.ly/xD44x
• NRCS offers June, online and in person question-and-answer sessions on new Regional Conservation Partnership Program http://ow.ly/xxbA6
• Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative saw both water quality-related environmental challenges and gains in 2013 http://ow.ly/xBYGu

Climate and Weather -

June National Drought Outlook-NOAA
(click to enlarge)

• Dangerous 'derecho' storms slam Midwest on Tuesday with high winds, hail, tornadoes http://ow.ly/xBMjn
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee debates impacts of climate, energy prices on farming and forestry http://ow.ly/xBTnZ
• NOAA drought update: Dryness emerges in Tennessee; Midwest mostly unchanged; some drought deterioration in Oklahoma  http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center monthly drought outlook for June http://ow.ly/q3yAx
• Op-ed: "The fatal flaw of the EPA and the decline of the honeybee" http://ow.ly/xz983

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• University of Minnesota research project to combat spread of invasive Asian carp in upper Mississippi River receives funding http://ow.ly/xBXWc
• "Carpe Carp! Can putting invasive species on the menu contain troublesome animals and plants?" http://ow.ly/xzxpz 

  

  The UK's Royal Mail celebrated World
  Environment Day with a stamp series,
  including one representing a Sturgeon

• Reps Hastings (D-FL), Denham (R-CA) introduce Highways BEE Act:  H.R. 4790 re: vegetative management on rights-of-way http://ow.ly/xBJnp
• Listing of lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species sparks industry to embrace voluntary measures http://ow.ly/xBK2z
• Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback pushes federal government to help pay for costs of protecting the lesser prairie chicken http://ow.ly/xD4UF
• Main cause of the monarch butterfly's decline is the loss of milkweed - its food - in U.S. corn belt breeding grounds http://ow.ly/xEWsa
• Lead shot threatens eagles, two-year study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says http://ow.ly/xEYZX

In the Cities -

• New Madison, Wisconsin wastewater treatment process designed to reduce runoff of nutrients into lakes and streams http://ow.ly/xxk3Z
• Rice Creek Watershed District (MN) seeks approval from New Brighton, St. Anthony and Roseville for flood mitigation and water quality improvement plans http://ow.ly/xC0f2

In the States-

• West Virginia State Supreme Court supports Department of Environmental Protection on less strict water pollution limits for mountaintop mining http://ow.ly/xxjDl
• 2014 Urban Flooding Awareness Act passed Illinois General Assembly on May 28; on its way to Governor to be signed http://ow.ly/xEA4O

Louisiana Coastal Region-

• From New York to New Orleans: America's New Axis of Vulnerability; Louisiana is Poster Child for U.S. sea level rise http://ow.ly/xBMQ0
• New York Times Op-Ed (by Russel L. Honoré) : Safeguarding Louisiana’s Coastline http://ow.ly/xw6oQ
• LSU researchers predict that a storm surge will swamp Southeastern Louisiana by the end of the century http://ow.ly/xw7Kv
• Louisiana House sends bill to Senate that would void lawsuit filed by New Orleans area levee board against 97 oil and gas companies http://ow.ly/xwLRR
• Over legal concerns, Gov. Jindal postpones signing bill designed to block lawsuit seeking compensation from oil and gas companies for Louisiana coastal damages http://ow.ly/xzuA1
• Legal scholars say that damage claims filed by local and state agencies against BP stemming from 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill have merit http://ow.ly/xC4WW (also see: http://ow.ly/xF0RB)

Forestry -

• Monongahela National Forest designated an “Insect and Disease Area” to streamline efforts to combat insect, disease threats http://ow.ly/xF0fH

Resource Development -

• Citizens group proposes two alternative routes for Enbridge Corp.’s proposed Sandpiper oil pipeline through Minnesota http://ow.ly/xw7YF
• Legislative Auditor: Louisiana's regulation and inspection of oil and gas wells, including 'orphaned' wells, are inadequate http://ow.ly/xwNGH
• Environmental group appeals Consol mining permit near Greene County, Pennsylvania park on basis of undermining, subsiding 14 streams http://ow.ly/xxiPD (Ohio River watershed)

Federal Budget -

• Senate Appropriations Chairwoman Mikulski interested in bundling spending bills together for floor consideration http://ow.ly/xz9As
• House-approved $51 billion Commerce and Justice spending bill  would cut marine research and climate science programs http://ow.ly/xC0Kv
• Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously passes spending bill to fund Commerce Department (including NOAA)  http://ow.ly/xFPst

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

• Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge "Owl Prowl" 8 PM, June 14, Lost Mount Unit, 3159 Crim Drive http://ow.ly/xzwbA
• The Chicago Water Summit 2014:  Global Lessons from Great Water Cities, July 21 http://ow.ly/xEPec ($170)
• WEFTEC 2014-Water Environment Federation’s Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference; Sept 27-Oct 1, New Orleans, La. http://ow.ly/xBJHg
• Science for Parks, Parks for Science: The Next Century; 2.5-day Summit at U.C. Berkeley March 25-27, 2015 http://ow.ly/xHpAJ

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• St. Croix River Association e-newsletter http://ow.ly/xw6ah
• S.A.P.I.EN.S paper: "A 10-year ecosystem restoration community of practice tracks large-scale restoration trends"  http://ow.ly/xz8vF (the complete journal issue can be seen here: http://ow.ly/xz8Iy)
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's June 4 TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/xCGgh (PDF file)
• Bi-weekly Green Lands Blue Waters update, highlighting advance of Continuous Living Cover on Mississippi River Basin agricultural land http://ow.ly/xEUfH
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's June 5 Watershed News http://ow.ly/xHqYP

Other news-

• New ASCE Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment is soliciting manuscript submissions http://ow.ly/xw5eP
• JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: St. Croix River Association seeks Invasive Species Coordinator to be part of River invasive species team http://ow.ly/xw5UH
• JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: WI DNR Mississippi River Water Quality Specialist Vacancy in La Crosse, WI http://ow.ly/xw8VC
• At 1979 Minnesota oil spill site, scientists discover oil-eating microbes http://ow.ly/xEZB6

Politics and People-

• Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General John S. Kem appointed to serve on Mississippi River Commission http://ow.ly/xBWLq
• Tuesday Mississippi River Basin states' primary election results:  Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, Montana, South Dakota http://ow.ly/xBIXI
• Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R) wins primary, setting up key U.S. Senate battle against Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) in race to replace retiring Sen. Tom Harkin http://ow.ly/xBKpk
• Heated Mississippi Senate race between Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R) will be decided by June 24 runoff http://ow.ly/xEBfz
• Sen. John Walsh (D) and freshman Rep. Steve Daines (R) easily win their respective Montana U.S. Senate primaries http://ow.ly/xBUsr
• Republican nominee in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District will be chosen by party delegates on June 21 after no candidates topped 35 percent on Tuesday http://ow.ly/xC6cP

Last Word -

Dame Jane Goodall

''It's when money becomes a god that we see this loss of wisdom.'' - Primatologist Dame Jane Goodall, reflecting on an "older wisdom" that informed decisions based on how they would affect future generations, during an interview in which Goodall accused politicians of having more concern for their immediate political careers than for future generations.