Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Most of the Water News - None of the Spin~

This Week and Next

The House will vote today (Friday) on a one-page funding bill to avert a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (including the Federal Emergency Management Administration), pushing off a possible shutdown for three weeks.  Elsewhere this week, the House passed a bill requiring the EPA to develop a plan for managing the health risks related to cyanotoxins, there were calls for an environmental impact assessment concerning new rail infrastructure being built to handle increased Bakken oil train traffic in the Upper Mississippi Valley, the Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District announced plans to revise its Mississippi River Master Plan, 55,000 gallons of ethanol were unaccounted for from a freight train spill along the Mississippi River, a court found that Nebraska recklessly gambled with water that wasn’t legally Nebraska’s, nearly 400 organizations told Congressional appropriators not to meddle with farm bill programs, and six men started paddling upstream on the Mississippi toward the Arctic Ocean.   Links to these and more can be found below, or digested into a one-paragraph summary, "What We Learned This Week - 'Let me count the ways.'"

Next week the full House may consider  H.R. 1030, the Secret Science Reform Act. and H.R. 1029, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, both of which aim to change the role science plays in EPA rule-making.  The House passed similar bills in 2014.  Next week will also see several River Basin-related Capitol Hill committee hearings, many of the fiscal variety. One notable exception will be a Thursday, House Agriculture Committee hearing "to review the definition of 'waters of the United States' proposed rule and its impact on rural America." You can read the entire list of River-related Hill happenings here.  

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• EPA's proposed clean water rule resisted by some Arkansas counties, agricultural groups,
  
  congressional members http://ow.ly/JwXx8
• 36,000 gallons of oil-water mixture recovered from containment trenches since last week's West Virginia oil train derailment http://ow.ly/JzPSE (photo,  right)
• Poll: Most Iowans support Des Moines Water Works water pollution lawsuit http://ow.ly/JIPfd
• ORSANCO 2013 Toxic Release Inventory Analysis report: ninety-two percent of reported Ohio River releases were nitrate compounds http://ow.ly/JGG1E (Story: http://ow.ly/JGGkg)
• EPA weighs in on Harpeth River, city of Franklin, Tennessee wastewater pollution federal court case  http://ow.ly/JzTcy
• Groups ask to intervene in Kentucky enforcement action, citing insufficient fines imposed against coal company for multiple water quality reporting violations http://ow.ly/JB4mg
• Doing a little to curb Mississippi River fertilizer pollution could go long way to breathing life back into the Gulf http://ow.ly/JBb4u
• H.R. 212-bill requiring U.S. EPA to develop a strategic plan for protecting drinking water from cyanotoxins-passes House 375-37 http://ow.ly/JD3O0
• House Appropriations Chair Rogers (R-KY-5) criticizes Interior Department plan to protect waterways from coal mining http://ow.ly/JFTE3
• Exploring New Ways of Measuring Water Quality Project Success http://ow.ly/JFUHf
• Officials still dealing with aftermath of freight train derailment that spilled ethanol into Mississippi River (Iowa) http://ow.ly/JGifj
• 21-month prison sentence imposed for man who conspired to falsify coal industry water pollution tests at West Virginia mining operations http://ow.ly/JGjWa

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

Mississippi River Lock and Dam 7

• Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District proposes to revise its Mississippi River Master Plan; seeks public input http://ow.ly/JwVMs
• Eight months in, the extent of "reform" as a result of 2014 Water Resources Reform and Development Act is unclear http://ow.ly/JoZh9
• NPR Morning Edition: Army Corps St. John Levee New Madrid Floodway project pits farmland against flood threat http://ow.ly/JzL8d
• Resources for the Future: Understanding Flood Risk Decisionmaking: Implications for Flood Risk Communication Program Design http://ow.ly/JxfgX
• Illinois River Valley hopes for a share of Housing and Urban Development $1 billion flood resiliency money http://ow.ly/JzCOP
• FEMA hurricane disaster recovery funds to Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes (Louisiana) will fund repairs, measures to protect against future damage http://ow.ly/JzHta
• Ducks Unlimited to restore 680-acre Platte River property wetlands habitat http://ow.ly/JzJ2C
• Supreme Court rules Nebraska must pay Kansas in interstate Republican River battle http://ow.ly/JB2t8 (ruling: http://ow.ly/JB21b)
• It will take longer, cost more than originally estimated to rebuild the Arkansas River levee through Pueblo, Colorado http://ow.ly/JGHfS
• Army Corps of Engineers updates public on status of repairs to Illinois River's Marseilles dam and nearby riverfront levee http://ow.ly/JGJHB
• USDA to invest $84 million to help communities in 13 states recover from natural disasters, including 2013 flooding in Iowa, Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado; 2014 flooding in Tennessee http://ow.ly/JGZh3 (list of projects: http://ow.ly/JGZuA)

Agriculture -

• USDA opens public comment period for Agricultural Conservation Easement Program interim final rule http://ow.ly/JGK8k (link to Federal Register notice to be officially published tomorrow: http://ow.ly/JGKyd)
• Senate Agriculture Committee members on Tuesday reviewed the implementation of the Farm Bill after one year http://ow.ly/JD31C (related article below)
• Senate Agriculture Committee ranking member Stabenow is concerned over cuts to USDA
  
  conservation programs; USDA Secretary says they are due to a shrinking staff http://ow.ly/JD8hk
• 392 agriculture, nutrition, conservation, rural development, finance, forestry, energy, trade, labor, equipment manufactures and crop insurance sector organizations urge Congress to reject further cuts to farm bill programs http://ow.ly/JzpKm
• National Journal: Agricultural science is in trouble http://ow.ly/JGj0a
• UN Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General: today's model of agricultural production not suitable for 21st century food security challenges http://ow.ly/Jvaax
• USDA announces over $160 million available to fund food and agriculture research, education, and extension http://ow.ly/JomKK
• Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee: cutting crop insurance subsidies is a non-starter http://ow.ly/JvaZr
• Some Midwestern farmers breaking farmland lease contracts with landowners due to lower commodity prices and reduced farm income http://ow.ly/Jzr1K
• Renewal option open through March 31 for agricultural producers, forest landowners with expiring NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program contracts http://ow.ly/JB15x
• North Dakota sees a sharp decrease in the number of small farms and ranches; part of growing trend toward fewer but larger farms http://ow.ly/JD91P
• Food waste is increasingly being seen as a serious environmental and economic issue http://ow.ly/JFRWa

Climate and Weather -

• US drought update: Locally-heavy rain and snow eased Mississippi and Ohio Valley drought conditions; Central to Northern Plains, Upper Midwest remained dry; severely dry conditions in western Oklahoma http://ow.ly/JGxqP
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center monthly drought outlook for March (will be published on Saturday afternoon) http://ow.ly/q3yAx

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Newly-introduced bill designed to address "spread of invasive species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins" http://ow.ly/JGN1X
• 12 "most destructive invasive plants and animals" in the United States include feral hogs, European starling, emerald ash borer, nutria in Mississippi River Basin http://ow.ly/JzRmK
• Spring bird migration is well underway across Wisconsin http://ow.ly/JAZB1
• Eagle Nature Foundation executive director: Upper Midwest bald eagle populations declining; researchers: they're not http://ow.ly/JGHTO
• Minnesota farmers face a 'perfect storm' after court wolf protection ruling http://ow.ly/JB3bZ

In the States-

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency officials warn that state legislators' push to ease state
  wild rice water pollution standards could lead federal oversight http://ow.ly/JDhyR
• Iowa state bills would tighten regulations on manure fertilizer application 

  

  River Basin states in the news this week

  http://ow.ly/Jp0Yc (link to Senate bill version: http://ow.ly/Jp0FG)
• Kentucky State House panel approves first overhaul of Kentucky's oil and gas drilling regulations in a generation http://ow.ly/JDiHI (link to bill: http://ow.ly/JDiUP)
• Kentucky Oil and Gas Conservation Commission disallows citizens' fracking questions at permit hearing http://ow.ly/JGn1F
• Missouri "Right to Farm" constitutional amendment opponents ask Missouri Supreme Court to hear their challenge http://ow.ly/JE9Cf
• North Dakota Senate votes to allow non-family farm corporations to own or lease agriculture land http://ow.ly/JzxAn (bill link: http://ow.ly/JzxWD)
• North Dakota House approves legislation to regulate oil and saltwater gathering pipelines http://ow.ly/JB5MR (bill link: http://ow.ly/JB64S)
• South Dakota Senate approves bill establishing nine river basin natural resource districts to oversee water, drainage management http://ow.ly/JzJzW (link to bill: http://ow.ly/JzKeR)
• West Virginia Senate starts work on bill to scale back law spelling out safeguards to prevent storage tank spills http://ow.ly/JDfP3 (link to bill: http://ow.ly/JDg3P)
• Indiana Senate defeats proposal that would have added "right to farm" protections to the state's constitution http://ow.ly/JGhbt (link to bill: http://ow.ly/JGhCj)
• Pennsylvania Senate Committee approves bill to create Marcellus Shale health advisory panel http://ow.ly/JGZM7 (bill link: http://ow.ly/JGZTo)

In the Cities -

• Work on two of Iowa City's major flood protection projects is behind schedule http://ow.ly/JwX0T
• Right-of-way disagreement over proposed Greater Cincinnati, Ohio River bike trail along rail line corridor may end up in court http://ow.ly/JzEAY
• Viking River Cruises-a major European river cruise company-to launch American river cruises from New Orleans http://ow.ly/JGIqd
• EPA guide: Green Infrastructure Opportunities that Arise During Municipal Operations http://ow.ly/JIFEu

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Report: Ocean acidification threatens economies of Louisiana (state highlights: http://ow.ly/JwOEk) 14 other coastal states (entire report: http://ow.ly/JwOpK)
• Study: Projected effects of the Panama Canal expansion on shipping traffic and biological invasions on Gulf and East coasts http://ow.ly/JGJ2H (news article: http://ow.ly/JGJ54)

Forestry -

• Forest Service temporarily halts controversial proposal to better gauge impacts of surface uses upon groundwater http://ow.ly/JH1FN

Resource Development -

• Crude oil boom translates into major rail investments along Upper Mississippi River corridor, along with calls for an environmental impact assessment http://ow.ly/JwTpJ
• DOT predicts that trains hauling crude oil or ethanol will derail an average of 10 times a year over next two decades http://ow.ly/JwViv
• EPA to Release Renewable Fuel Volumes this Spring for 2014, 2015 and 2016 http://ow.ly/Jveyx
• Iowa Gov. Branstad fires ethanol warning shot to 2016 presidential candidates, with launch of launch of "America’s Renewable Future" nonprofit http://ow.ly/JH79W
• Bill introduced by Sens. Feinstein (D-CA) and Toomey (R-PA) would strip corn ethanol from EPA renewable fuel standard http://ow.ly/JH11z
• ActionAid report says food-based federal biofuel mandates threaten food security http://ow.ly/JB3Jz
• Houston County, Minnesota close to adopting a permanent ban on frac-sand mining http://ow.ly/JzI2C
• President Obama vetoes legislation authorizing construction of the Keystone XL pipeline http://ow.ly/JBJcA
• Five possible ways the Keystone XL pipeline saga could end http://ow.ly/JzOO4

Federal Budget -

• House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittees criticize U.S. EPA's fiscal year 2016 budget request for its focus on climate change http://ow.ly/JE8Cg (link to hearing archive: http://ow.ly/JE8vP)
• House will vote today (Friday) to prevent Homeland Security shutdown tomorrow (includes FEMA funding) http://ow.ly/JIA1q

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar) 

• Aldo Leopold weekend celebration theme is “Water Ethic;” February 27-28, La Crosse, Wisconsin http://ow.ly/JzGyF
• Focus 2015: A Forum of Communities for Urban Sustainability; Washington, DC, March 5 and 6 http://ow.ly/JvcZy
• Training: Application of Quality Assurance and Quality Control Principles to Ecological Restoration; March 6, Superior, WI http://ow.ly/JzMYd
• National Geographic meetings to promote national, Mississippi River tourism; March 9-10, Moline, IL http://ow.ly/JzFAo
• EPA webcast on “Watershed Approach Handbook: Improving Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects”  March 18, 1:00 PM ET http://ow.ly/JIGeo
• Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society Biennual Meeting, St. Charles, Missouri, March 22-25 http://ow.ly/JBM1U (one day concurrent overlap with UMRCC meeting, below)
• Annual Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee annual meeting, March 25-26, St. Charles, Missouri http://ow.ly/JBN4p
• Illinois RiverWatch Offering Training Workshops for Adults, 4-H and Student Groups; March through May http://ow.ly/Jw1rI
• Association of State Floodplain Managers 39th Annual National Conference, "Mitigation on my Mind" - May 31-June 5, Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, GA http://ow.ly/Jve04

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 278, February 23, National Geographic Geotourism Project http://ow.ly/JwsAM
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's February 24 TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/JBJJx
• Green Lands Blue Waters update, focusing on Continuous Living Cover on Mississippi River Basin agricultural land http://ow.ly/JICBy
• Association of State Floodplain Managers February "News and Views" http://ow.ly/JH8gn
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's February 56 "Watershed News" http://ow.ly/JIFjD

Other news-

• House Science, Space and Technology Committee advances 2 bills aimed at science behind EPA rules http://ow.ly/JFUnx (committee markup meeting page: http://ow.ly/JFUif) 
• USDA seeks grant proposals to increase recreational public access on private agricultural, forest lands http://ow.ly/JwABc
• Team of six paddlers ascending the Mississippi River in first stage of a journey with the Arctic Ocean as its goal http://ow.ly/JBKpk
• USDA Announces $14 Million in Grants Supporting Economic Growth for Rural Communities http://ow.ly/JE5U8
• Debate beginning to take shape over the merits of a paved recreational trail through the Minnesota River valley http://ow.ly/JGGGQ

Politics and People-

• League of Conservation Voters releases annual scorecard of environmental voting records of all members of Congress http://ow.ly/JH0DY
• U.S. EPA's Region 7 chief Karl Brooks to step down; take on new job at EPA Washington, D.C. headquarters http://ow.ly/JEaad
• Former Gov. Ted Strickland will seek to challenge Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman in 2016 http://ow.ly/JEc5b
• Kansas Governor Sam Brownback elected Chair of the Midwestern Governors Association for 2015 http://ow.ly/JpviH
• Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) hints at a possible comeback bid in final speech as U.S. State Department envoy to Africa http://ow.ly/JDdsg
• Mississippi Governor schedules May 12 special election to fill 1st district House seat left vacant by Rep. Alan Nunnelee's death http://ow.ly/JD2Ht

Your Moment of Zen -

Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images

What We Learned This Week - "Let me count the ways"

The Bakken crude oil boom has translated into major rail investments along the Upper Mississippi River corridor, along with calls for an environmental impact assessment. The Transportation Department predicts that trains hauling crude oil or ethanol will derail an average of 10 times a year over the next 20 years. Nearly 400 organizations told Congress not to mess with farm bill programs. Agriculture must change, and agricultural science is in trouble, as well.   Iowa state bills would  tighten regulations on manure fertilizer application.  The Army Corps of Engineers Rock Island District announced plans to revise its Mississippi River Master Plan.  55,000 gallons of ethanol remain unaccounted for from a freight train derailment and spill in Iowa along the Mississippi River.  The U.S. House resoundingly passed a bill requiring the EPA to develop a plan for evaluating the health risks of cyanotoxins and issuing health advisories, as well as plan for treatment options.  Following the President's pipeline bill veto on Tuesday, there are five possible ways the Keystone XL saga could end.  That veto left the GOP on a track for an override vote - one that will most likely fail.  A team of six paddlers is ascending the Mississippi River in the first stage of a journey taking them to the Arctic Ocean. Minnesota officials warned state legislators that their push to ease state wild rice water pollution standards could lead to federal oversight.   West Virginia state lawmakers are having second thoughts about a storage tank spill prevention act passed unanimously last year.  Senate Agriculture Committee members expressed concerns over cuts to USDA conservation programs at a Tuesday hearing.  The Supreme Court ruled that Nebraska "recklessly gambled" in taking more water from the Republican River than it was allowed to take in 2005 and 2006. Amid Oklahoma lawmakers' busy schedules this year, they may need to decide the fate of the watermelon as the official "state vegetable." And last but not least, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma threw a snowball in the Senate chamber on Thursday to make a climate change point.

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

The House returns from its week-long hiatus on Tuesday, and the Senate on Monday, when both chambers will resume committee and floor activities. The House on Tuesday will consider H.R. 212, the Drinking Water Protection Act, which would require the U.S. EPA to develop a strategic plan to manage the risks associated with cyanotoxins in drinking water. The Senate on Monday will begin consideration of the 2015 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which, in part, would fund the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the end of September.  DHS funding is currently set to run out on February 28.  The House schedule lists that bill for "possible consideration" this week.

Congressional attention this time of year is typically focused on the development of a Budget Resolution, which would set the fiscal boundaries of any subsequent spending bills drafted by the House and Senate. On Wednesday, the House Budget Committee will hold a "Members Day" (details below), providing an opportunity for House Members to express their Fiscal Year 2016 House Budget Resolution needs, requests and questions. This also provides an opportunity for Mississippi River advocates to reach out to their respective House district representatives, asking them to attend the Members Day and back funding levels that match with the advocates' priorities.  

Below are the 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 web pages, 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. 

Tuesday

• Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the Agricultural Act of 2014 implementation after one year and Farm Credit Administration pending nominations; 9:30 AM, room 328A Russell Senate Office Building.
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing - Department of the Interior's FY 2016 Budget; 10:00 AM, room 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Wednesday

• House Transportation and Infrastructure hearing on the President’s Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request for Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Programs; 10:00 AM, room
  2167 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Energy and Commerce joint Energy and Power, and Environment and the Economy subcommittees' hearing on the Fiscal Year 2016 Environment Protection Agency Budget; 10:00 AM , room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing - Department of Agriculture Office of the Secretary; 10:00 AM, room 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building.
• Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing entitled "Toward a 21st-Century Regulatory System;" 10:00 AM, room SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Budget Committee "Members Day;" 1:00 PM, room 210 Cannon House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing - Department of the Interior;1:00 PM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.

Thursday

• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing - U.S. Forest Service’s FY2016 Budget; 10:00 AM, room 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing - Environment Protection Agency; 1:00 PM, room B-308 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing "Examining the Impacts of EPA Air and Water Regulations on the States and the American People;" 2:00 PM, room 2247 Rayburn House Office Building.

Friday

• House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing to discuss Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform; 9:00 AM, room 2247 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing - Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment, Natural Resources Conservation Service; 10:00 AM, room 2362-A Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Energy and Commerce Environment and the Economy Subcommittee hearing on the "Needs of Drinking Water Systems in Rural and Smaller Communities;" 10:00 AM, room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Most of the Water News - None of the Spin~

This Week and Next

This rapidly-ending wintry week saw an oil tanker train derailment and spill in West Virginia, a reversal in the legal fortunes for a Louisiana levee authority, a shift in farmers' planting plans from corn to soybeans, signs of Asian carp in the upper Ohio River, and Mississippi River Basin states planning deep budget cuts.  Links to these stories and more can be found in the lengthy list, below (and summarized more pithily in "What We Learned This Week - Sheep or Goats?").

Congress returns from a week-long break next Tuesday, and resumes committee activities - many focused on the development of a Budget Resolution, which would set the fiscal boundaries of any subsequent spending bills drafted by the House and Senate.  Many environmental and water-focused subcommittees next week will host budget hearings for the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Agriculture and Interior Department.  There will also be a hearing exploring 2014 Farm Bill implementation over year on.  Here is a link  to the U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for next week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Train carrying over 100 tank cars of crude oil derails in West Virginia sending at least one into

  

  Photo Credit: Iowa Geological Survey

  the Kanawha River http://ow.ly/Jb8iH
• Oilfield wastewater pipelines often leak in North Dakota, with devastating consequences http://ow.ly/Jhavp
• National Law Review: Iowa Utility To Pursue Novel Lawsuit Over Agricultural Nitrate Pollution http://ow.ly/Jhp8k
• Star Tribune: A closely watched fight brewing over nitrates in Iowa water http://ow.ly/Jk93Z
• After 16 years with lapsed power plant wastewater permit, Ameren’s new Missouri River proposal gets public hearing http://ow.ly/Jhrm8
• Senate bill aims to reduce polluted stormwater that washes off highways into streams and rivers http://ow.ly/Jl1qJ
• Farmers can better prevent nutrient runoff based on land characteristics http://ow.ly/Jntad
• EPA proposes several changes in required/recommended wastewater analysis testing methods; Federal Register: http://ow.ly/JntLQ
• Center for Biological Diversity: oil trains threaten 3,600 miles of streams as well as 73,000 square miles of lakes, wetlands and reservoirs http://ow.ly/JnZvu

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

• Mississippi Republican Sen. Thad Cochran questions lack for funding for Mississippi Delta flood control projects http://ow.ly/J1beZ
• Corps of Engineers moves ahead with study of at-risk Arkansas River levee system (Tulsa, Oklahoma) http://ow.ly/J1bKd
• Midwest Environmental Advocates opposes DNR's approval of crude oil rail line through La Crosse, Wisconsin wetlands http://ow.ly/J1chh
• Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District completes last round of buyouts  of flood-prone property along Missouri River (Nebraska) http://ow.ly/JhuLZ

Agriculture-

• Large number of environmental organizations urge lawmakers “to protect mandatory funding for farm bill conservation" http://ow.ly/JnrCM
• Complexity of Farm Bill becomes "this mess" in farm country http://ow.ly/Jbpn5
• As crop prices fall, farmers grow subsidies instead http://ow.ly/JbpGu
• Des Moines Register: Water, air quality concerns heighten conflict between pig farms and environmental advocates http://ow.ly/JcFHw
• Biofuels scientists critique World Resources Institute study linking bioenergy, food scarcity http://ow.ly/Jd0mW
• The "aging farmer problem" may be overstated http://ow.ly/JfsYt
• The Future Of Agriculture? Precision Farming http://ow.ly/JnsGJ
• U.S. farmers from Louisiana to North Dakota switch more land to soybeans, seeking to limit slumping corn market losses http://ow.ly/Jh9Kj
• For the first time since the 1970s, corn planting will decline for three straight seasons; soybeans expand to record acreage http://ow.ly/JfCdR
• USDA scientists model nutrient loss from Midwestern crop fields http://ow.ly/JhpwP
• USDA solicits applications for $9 million in funding to help communities develop local, independent food systems http://ow.ly/JkGG7
• Survey shows Iowans support targeted approaches for multiple-benefit agriculture http://ow.ly/JnLzz

Click to enlarge

Climate and Weather -

• National Weather Service: Drought likely to develop in Upper Midwest by spring http://ow.ly/Jnvd8
• US weekly drought update: abnormally dry soils in Lower Mississippi Valley Precipitation below average across most of Great Plains, Central Plains, Midwest http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• EPA Releases Stormwater Climate Change Tool to help communities prepare for climate change impacts http://ow.ly/J1wle

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission: Asian carp eDNA found in Ohio River for the second year running in Pennsylvania http://ow.ly/J0JSr
• Arrival of small flock along Platte River signals start of sandhill crane migration http://ow.ly/J1aOz
• Administration commitment to Asian carp alternatives outlined in 2014's Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study questioned http://ow.ly/JbjnS
• Invasive emerald ash borer, known pest in ash trees, found in Louisiana (Webster Parish) http://ow.ly/JhoJT

In the Cities -

Photo Courtesy Philips Lighting

• Big Four Bridge across the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky is ablaze with 1,500 blinking colored LED lights http://ow.ly/J0CVn
• St. Bernard Parish to get six-mile bike trail along Mississippi River (New Orleans metropolitan area) http://ow.ly/JhskD
• Prairie du Chien (Wisconsin) council approves preliminary flood mitigation project http://ow.ly/Jhoqj

In the States -

• Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker wants to remove tax money from state park system and make parks self-sustaining http://ow.ly/Jgz6W
• West Virginia Coal Association pushes state bills that would weaken environmental and mining safety rules http://ow.ly/J1DAm (link to bills: House - http://ow.ly/J1DIr Senate - http://ow.ly/J1DQf)
• Expecting significant budget shortfalls, Illinois’s governor proposes over $6 billion in state spending cuts http://ow.ly/Jjuue
• Oklahoma budget deficit, prompted by oil industry decline, doubles to over $600 million, deeper cuts coming http://ow.ly/JbnGb

Click to enlarge

Gulf Coastal Region -

• Times-Picayune editorial: Gulf dead zone must be reduced http://ow.ly/Jhqyn
• 15 Louisiana coastal restoration projects authorized in 2007 by Congress have met various fates http://ow.ly/JhrOS
• Federal judge has dismisses southeast Louisiana flood protection board wetland-loss lawsuit against oil and gas companies http://ow.ly/Jbkla
• Satellite images show new deltas forming off Louisiana coast http://ow.ly/Jd2LG
• RESTORE Advisory Committee sets criteria for coastal restoration projects in Escambia County, Louisiana http://ow.ly/Jo3wd

Forestry -

• Newly-announced joint USFS-NRCS projects include Mississippi River Basin forest restoration projects in Missouri, Illinois, Ohio and South Dakota http://ow.ly/JnDkw (announcement: http://ow.ly/JnDnQ)

Natural Resources Development -

• Proposed southeastern Minnesota frac sand mining operation could be biggest in state http://ow.ly/JboAU
• EPA plans to offer a proposal for Renewable Fuels Standards for 2014, 2015, and 2016 this spring http://ow.ly/Jnsbh

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)

• National Invasive Species Awareness Week, February 22-28 http://ow.ly/J1uoQ
• Aquatic Invasive Species Strategic Plan meeting (St. Croix River); March 4, 9:30 am Central; St. Croix Falls, WI http://ow.ly/JlfjW
• Symposium "The Once and Future River: Imagining the Mississippi in an Era of Climate Change;" Northrop, Minnesota, April 8, 7:00 PM, April 9 (all day), April 10 (morning) http://ow.ly/JbAC3
• Registration open for USEPA Water Quality Standards Academy; April 27 - May 1; Washington, DC http://ow.ly/Jg9eF

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia -

• New blog from @waterbugsUMN called "Exploring Daley Creek," about the biological and physical ecological at work in a small Minnesota stream http://ow.ly/J1suN
• Missouri Coalition on the Environment February 13 e-newsletter http://ow.ly/J18vI
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council February 19 Watershed News http://ow.ly/JnvUv
• American Farmland Trust February's "The Dirt" http://bit.ly/1G8UdvO

Other News -

• NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite to measure soil moisture worldwide every 2–3 days for next three years http://ow.ly/J1cWS
• ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science: Conservatives discount scientific theories that run counter to their worldview; liberals do the same http://ow.ly/Jbzpx
• Student summer trainee internship positions at the Rock Island, Department of the Interior Field Office, Illinois http://ow.ly/JcXXX
• Obama to make Colorado's Browns Canyon a national monument (Arkansas River) http://ow.ly/Jhn3T
• Job: Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development Council full time, limited term Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator http://ow.ly/JnuJ6
• Groups slam government advisory group suggestion to reduce red meat intake for environmental reasons http://ow.ly/JnFhV

People and Politics -

• Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) considers a primary election Tea Party challenge against Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) http://ow.ly/JbiLQ
• Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander (D) will challenge Sen. Roy Blunt (R) for Missouri U.S. Senate seat http://ow.ly/Jl0Nt
• New Congress has slightly higher approval ratings: 20% say they approve of the way it's handling job http://ow.ly/Jbwho
• Newest member of Iowa House of Representatives, David Sieck (R), has extensive river issue experience (won seat in February 10 special election) http://ow.ly/Jhq1N

Your Moment of Zen

Flamingos at the Memphis Zoo huddling together for warmth on Tuesday.
(AP Photo/The Commercial Appeal, Jim Weber)

What We Learned This Week - Sheep or Goats?

The National Weather Service believes that a drought is likely to develop in the Upper Midwest by this spring. The "aging farmer problem" may be overblown. For the first time since the 1970s, corn planting will decline for three straight seasons. That slumping corn market is driving farmers from Louisiana to North Dakota to switch more land to soybeans, as they seek to limit their losses. Oil trains threaten 3,600 miles of U.S. streams as well as 73,000 square miles of lakes, wetlands and reservoirs. One of those trains, carrying over 100 tank cars of crude oil, derailed in West Virginia sending at least one car into the the Kanawha River. It's the Chinese Year of the Sheep, or Year of the Goat, depending on which old English translation of a Chinese hoofed, grass-eating, bleating mammal you choose. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has detected Asian carp eDNA in the upper Ohio River for the second year running. Another invasive, the emerald ash borer, has been found in Louisiana; the 25th state in which the insect has been detected. The governors of Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Illinois are proposing deep state budget cuts that may impact state park, conservation and environmental programs. A federal judge dismissed an historic southeast Louisiana flood protection board wetland-loss lawsuit against oil and gas companies. Satellite images show that new delta land is forming off Louisiana's coast. The new Congress has a slightly higher approval rating than the last one: 20%. And last but not least, conservatives discount scientific theories that run counter to their worldview; liberals do the same.

What We Learned This Week - "Slip slidin' away"

The Department of Agriculture rolled out a "new MRBI" - the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative's second phase. The Hypoxia Task Force extended its target date from 2015 until 2035 for shrinking the Gulf of Mexico dead zone by two-thirds. The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the Drinking Water Protection Act after considerable discussion.  The Obama Administration looks to finalize its proposed clean water rule by the summer.   Proposed state bills in West Virginia and Minnesota would, respectively, weaken water protections and require legislative approval of new water quality regulations.  Groups in Tennessee joined in a lawsuit to protect Nashville's drinking water source.  Memphis, Tennessee will form a task force to focus on its water resources.  The Midwest is flooding more frequently. The Army Corps of Engineers said that money spent on its civil works projects means jobs.  Alarmed by rapid deforestation, the Minnesota DNR ordered an environmental review that will temporarily halt jackpine forest conversions to potato fields.  Riverfront ground was broken in Baton Rouge for a new $45 million, 33-acre Center for River Studies.  Competition between commodity crop farms and industrial water users in middle-America is resulting in severe crop income losses.  Between 2008 and 2013, corn used 14 percent more water from irrigation, while water use for all crops combined declined.  Most small farms are unsustainable.   U.S. farm income is poised to drop for a third straight year, while 2015 should see a 15-percent increase in federal payments to producers and landowners.  A slowdown in their growth has people wondering if farmers markets have peaked?   The Iowa Great Lakes may be the next "hog-confinement battleground."  And last but not least, Brainerd, Minnesota area residents experienced an "ice quake" last month.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Most of the Water News - None of the Spin~

This Week and Next

Cyanobacteria. Binder Lake, Iowa.
August 2006.

The week now ending saw Congress pass a bill approving the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, through the Plains states to the Gulf of Mexico.  That bill will almost certainly be vetoed by President Obama, marking the first of what could be many vetoes through the remainder of his presidency. On Thursday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee debated and passed the Drinking Water Protection Act, sending the bill on to the full House. That bipartisan bill, introduced largely in response to last summer's Toledo, Ohio drinking water contamination incident, would require the U.S. EPA to develop a strategic plan to manage the risks associated with cyanotoxins in drinking water. Thus far, no companion bill has been introduced in the Senate, so the measure's overall fate remains uncertain. Also this week: the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient (Hypoxia) Task Force has given the nation 20 more years to meet the Gulf of Mexico hypoxia reduction target; the Army Corps of Engineers said that civil works projects mean jobs; the Obama Administration said it would finalize its proposed clean water rule by the summer; and proposed state bills in West Virginia and Minnesota would impact water protections.  Details on all of this and much more can be found below (or in this readily-edible, one paragraph version: "What We Learned This Week - 'Slip slidin' away'").

Congressional lawmakers have next week off for the President's Day holiday (many will be out of town during a scheduled state or district work period).  So, no floor or committee activity is scheduled until Tuesday, February 24.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• EPA release: States "develop new strategies to reduce nutrient levels in Mississippi River, Gulf of Mexico;" they need 20 more years to complete that work http://ow.ly/IXEeC (news article: http://ow.ly/IZPZr)
• Des Moines Register: States want 20 more years to meet Gulf dead-zone goals http://ow.ly/J0qph
• Army Assistant Secretary for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy: Administration looking to finalize clean water rule "by the summer" http://ow.ly/ITyIQ
• Agriculture Secretary Vilsack will not ask U.S. EPA, Army Corps of Engineers to withdraw proposed Waters of the United States rule http://ow.ly/IW2Xr (link to hearing page here: http://ow.ly/IW3wt)
• USDA NRCS announces "the new MRBI" - a second phase of its Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative http://ow.ly/IO0f5
• Tennessee Clean Water Network and Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association join lawsuit to

  

  Photo: CSA News Magazine

  protect Nashville drinking water source http://ow.ly/IBTOH
• At Congressional hearing, Oklahoma attorney general vows to sue Obama administration over Clean Water Act rule http://ow.ly/IBTg8
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources continues to monitor Mississippi River after derailed train spills ethanol http://ow.ly/ITJHn
• Lawmakers clash over ‘mythical’ EPA water rule http://ow.ly/IJMRa
• Effects on Indiana's Winona Lake uncertain following explosion, spill http://ow.ly/IO3yb
• EPA proposes changes to National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan requirements; comments due by April 22 http://ow.ly/IS5tJ (Federal Register notice: http://ow.ly/IS5AD)
• Energy and Commerce Committee sends bill dealing with algal toxin management on to full House http://ow.ly/IZOJ6 (link to bill: H.R. 212, Drinking Water Protection Act)
• Contamination levels persist but are dropping in larger downstream rivers following North Dakota saltwater spill http://ow.ly/ISe8D
• Subsoil phosphorus loss: A complex problem with no easy solutions http://ow.ly/ISWKO
• University of Arkansas scientists addressing Gulf of Mexico hypoxia http://ow.ly/IWV1w

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

Photo: David Grunfeld, The Times-Picayune

• University of Iowa study of over 50 years of data in 14 states finds Midwest is flooding more frequently http://ow.ly/IRZ5M
• Horinko Group white paper: Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Meeting a Community’s Water and Wastewater Needs-A Primer for Public Officials http://ow.ly/IC3ng
• Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with Mississippi River navigation lock expansion without Port of New Orleans help http://ow.ly/IJTJ5
• With no money in budget for Chattanooga's Chickamauga Lock, Army Corps of Engineers reconsiders lock priorities http://ow.ly/ITIQG
• House Democrats push bill to incorporate modern forecasting into Army Corps' dam operations http://ow.ly/ISlfl (bill: http://ow.ly/ISkRl)
• An estimated $1.2 billion in corn, soy and wheat crops at risk in US states where competition with industrial water users is acute http://ow.ly/ISf8v
• Settlement calls for northeast Twin Cities metro communities to use Mississippi River water instead of groundwater http://ow.ly/ITLzU
• USDA survey: Corn used 14 percent more water from irrigation in 2013 than in 2008; Water use for all crops combined declined 3.7 percent http://ow.ly/IXyDz

Agriculture-

• Des Moines Register explores current issues associated with swine animal feeding operations in Iowa http://ow.ly/IJK9P "Iowa Great Lakes may be next hog-confinement battleground"
• U.S. cattle backgrounding and feeding capacity is moving to the Plains and Midwest

  

  Click to enlarge

   http://ow.ly/IJPq7
• What nobody told me about small farming: the ugly fact that most farms are unsustainable http://ow.ly/INLwO
• USDA: rate of growth in number of farmers markets nationally has slowed dramatically in the last five years; have farmers markets peaked? http://ow.ly/ISaSk (USDA report: "Trends in U.S. Local and Regional Food Systems" http://ow.ly/ISbeJ)
• Federal district court in Minnesota approves EPA proposal not to release farmers, ranchers personal information while appeal is pending http://ow.ly/IOdpK
• USDA: Farm income in the U.S. is poised to drop for a third straight year in 2015; a 15-percent increase in government payments in 2015 is expected http://ow.ly/ISc56 (see graph, above)
• USDA releases new report entitled, “USDA Long-Term Agricultural Projections,” providing projections for the agricultural sector to 2024 http://ow.ly/IWhoH (highlights here: http://ow.ly/IWhTe)
• Farm payment projections growing past the amounts originally budgeted just a year ago in Farm Bill http://ow.ly/IZV4G
• DTN: Defense of Crop Insurance: House Ag Committee Leaders Argue Cuts Not Needed, But Efforts Continue http://ow.ly/IWfjy
• New initiative allows farmers to test and compare soil-health improvements http://ow.ly/ISY46
• House Agriculture Committee reviews the state of the rural economy during Wednesday hearing http://ow.ly/ITA65
• "Nature, agriculture coexist in Mason County" (Illinois) http://ow.ly/ITJgX
• Sen. John Thune (R., S.D.) reintroduces bill to stimulate new agricultural research through new type of philanthropy combining private sector entrepreneurship with charitable giving http://ow.ly/IWgxl
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition releases new guide to how the USDA Conservation Stewardship Program works http://ow.ly/IWrUT

Click to enlarge

Climate and Weather -

• Unprecedented 21st century drought risk in the American Southwest and Central Plains; research paper: http://ow.ly/IZQXq (story: http://ow.ly/IZR6K)
• US weekly drought update: abnormally dry, moderate drought area expands across central and eastern Kentucky; abnormally dry areas expand in southwestern Missouri, and into western South Dakota http://ow.ly/wmTdv (map to the right)
• As efforts to restrain deforestation begin to work, farming now worse for climate change than clearing forests http://ow.ly/IO73Z

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Asian carp advance up Mississippi River Basin to the Great Lakes has stalled, Army Corps of Engineers tells Congress http://ow.ly/IZQkZ
• Obama administration and conservation groups launch plan to halt the death spiral of the monarch butterfly http://ow.ly/IO2n4
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: scientists find new clue in bee colony collapse disorder http://ow.ly/IObES
• Biologists study shovelnose sturgeon in Arkansas River ahead of planned development http://ow.ly/ITL4u
• Federal agencies using unconventional model to help endangered pallid sturgeon from running into Yellowstone River's Intake Dam http://ow.ly/IXxIQ

Photo credit: Brian Peterson, Star Tribune

Forestry -

• Alarmed by rapid deforestation, Minnesota DNR orders environmental review that will temporarily halt central-state jackpine conversion to potato fields http://ow.ly/IBV3J  (also see: http://ow.ly/IBVLI)
• A Biofuel Debate: Will Cutting Trees Cut Carbon? http://ow.ly/ISd38

In the Cities -

• Ground broken along Baton Rouge's Mississippi riverfront for new $45 million, 33-acre Center for River Studies http://ow.ly/IWXEB
• Memphis, Tennessee city leaders forming 45-member task force to focus on water resources http://ow.ly/IWZCX
• Post-flood rebuilding gave Nashville, Tennessee an opportunity to craft a vibrant, connected, green, dense downtown plan http://ow.ly/IX9sh
• Virtual Map tour of Nashville water resource's bioretention, pervious pavement, green roofs and infiltration projects http://ow.ly/IZRPz

In the States -

• Links to 46 state budget summaries for Fiscal Year 2014 (for states' enacted final budgets in fiscal years ending in mid-2014) http://ow.ly/IOOcs
• Wisconsin manure spills putting drinking water supplies at risk; precipitating fish kills

  

  Photo: Picasa

  http://ow.ly/IJBU9
• West Virginia lawmakers consider series of proposals that would weaken new chemical tank safety, water protection law http://ow.ly/IO41Z (link to Senate version of bill: http://ow.ly/IO64v)
• West Virginia lawmakers back legislation to shield coal mining companies from environmental group lawsuits http://ow.ly/IS3cO (Senate version of bill: http://ow.ly/IS3BK); bill includes provisions to review water quality standards for selenium and aluminum
• Proposed West Virginia bills would weaken water protections http://ow.ly/ISfFq
• Ohio Senate bill outlines new effort to fight toxic algae, support clean drinking water http://ow.ly/IWe3f (link to bill: http://ow.ly/IWeco)
• Minnesota state lawmakers seek to pass package of bills to limit hunting, ban snaring, increase livestock fund http://ow.ly/IJVwb
• Minnesota state bills would require legislative approval, economic impact study of any new water quality regulations http://ow.ly/IO4Ga  (link to bills: http://ow.ly/IO5nf http://ow.ly/IO5yu)
• Minnesota draft general permit for operating livestock feedlots with 1,000 or more animal units open for public comment through March 11 http://ow.ly/IOfQS
• Iowa state revenue between July and January totaled $100 million below estimates http://ow.ly/ISUwI
• North Dakota state Democrats say agency's promotion, regulation of oil and gas development is a conflict of interest http://ow.ly/IJWgR
• Montana state senator introduces bill prohibiting state from selling land obtained from federal government to private owners http://ow.ly/IS4CD

Gulf Coastal Region -

• Louisiana's threatened coast is seeing new patches of high ground and exposed land through restoration efforts http://ow.ly/IWWnH

Natural Resources Development -

• House passes bill authorizing Keystone XL oil sands pipeline construction, setting up first major Obama presidency veto ow.ly/IVWtq (link to bill: http://ow.ly/IVZd3)
• TransCanada Corp. will halt Keystone XL oil pipeline eminent domain proceedings in attempt to resolve litigation vs. Nebraska landowners http://ow.ly/IZPCn

Federal Budget -

• Army Corps at House Appropriations subcommittee's budget hearing: money spent on civil works projects means jobs http://ow.ly/IWVyS
• Committee hearing reaction implies that President's Army Corps of Engineers budget request is all but dead on arrival http://ow.ly/IW4M2
• If Department of Homeland Security funding lapses, most Federal Emergency Management Agency staff would continue to work http://ow.ly/IJEQb
• House Agriculture Committee sends its Budgets Views and Estimates Letter for Fiscal Year 2016 on to House Budget Committee http://ow.ly/IWupw
• Groups urge congress to implement a 2% funding increase for key conservation, outdoors, historic preservation programs http://ow.ly/IZUsU

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)

• Association of State Wetland Managers webinar: Playa and Rainwater Basin Wetland

  

  Click to enlarge

  Restoration; February 17, 3 PM ET http://ow.ly/ISZkK
• CQ Roll Call forum: Future of Advanced Biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard; Washington, DC, February 24, 9 AM http://ow.ly/IS6j1
• Briefing on USGS Report on Nationwide Groundwater Quality; March 6, 9:00 AM, Washington, DC http://ow.ly/IX7I3
• National Groundwater Awareness Week; March 8-14 http://ow.ly/IXDrw
• National Ag Day; March 18, 2015 http://ow.ly/IWt1g (Washington, DC events: http://agday.org/media/pr14.php)
• Water is topic of University of Nebraska symposium and water law conference, Lincoln’s NU College of Law, March 19-20 http://ow.ly/IWTjK
• Water Week 2015: National Water Policy Forum, Fly-In and Expo; Washington, DC, April 13-15 http://ow.ly/IS20

Photograph: U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers/St. Louis District

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia -

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's February "BALMM Currents" - Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota http://ow.ly/ITp4k
• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 277, February 11 http://ow.ly/ITCA9
• Corps of Engineers shares historic Mississippi River flood of 1927 photos online http://ow.ly/ITKa3
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Waterfront Bulletin for February 2015 http://ow.ly/IXaAF
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's TUWaterWays, February 11 e-newsletter http://ow.ly/IY2ZY
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council February 12 Watershed News http://ow.ly/IZTc4
• Gulf Restoration Network's Gulf Waves e-newsletter for February 13 http://ow.ly/IZVRk

Other News -

• Bill reintroduced to permanently stop EPA from regulating lead shot, sinkers, other ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act http://ow.ly/IJLUS
• UN Water releases analytical brief on wastewater management, stressing the drinking water and wastewater nexus http://ow.ly/IVYot
• Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District is seeking more volunteers to operate the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum and Interpretive Site http://ow.ly/IWUjL
• Alliance for Water Efficiency, Environmental Law Institute, River Network partner on initiative to promote water neutral community growth http://ow.ly/IXCSo
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies, AGree, and U.S. Water Alliance white paper: Collaborating for Healthy Watersheds http://ow.ly/IXBj0
• Job opening: Director of the University of Minnesota Sea Grant College Program (Lake Superior and Minnesota's inland waters) http://ow.ly/IXL91

People and Politics -

• Federal Employed Women Association biennial interactive map of the federal workforce presence nationwide by agency grouping, county and congressional district http://ow.ly/IRWv7
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee announces the full lineup for its four subcommittees http://ow.ly/IXwY6
• Analysis: Louisiana environmental lobby gains prominent ally in retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore http://ow.ly/IJDk3
• Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.-1) dies after a battle with brain cancer http://ow.ly/IJRot

Your Moment of Zen

 Photograph: Brent Stirton/Getty Images

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

Russell Senate Office Building

Last week's release of the Obama administration's fiscal year 2016 budget proposal (found here, and explained from a Mississippi River perspective here) marked the start of the House and Senate budget-proposal-hearings' season, including several basin-related budget hearings scheduled for this week (see below).  There are a few other, more directly Basin-centric, Hill activities scheduled as well.  On Wednesday, the House is scheduled to take up the Senate's version of the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act, which is essentially the previously-House-passed measure, amended somewhat.  President Obama is poised to veto the bill following likely House passage.

Below are the U.S. House and Senate committee activities currently scheduled for this week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources.   Links are provided below to relevant committee web pages, 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. 

Tuesday

• Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security hearing entitled, "Keeping Goods Moving," focusing on the U.S. supply chain, particularly the importance of efficiently functioning U.S. ports; 10:00 AM, room 253 Senate Russell Office Building
• House Rules Committee meeting to determine the floor rules for the consideration of S.1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act; 5:00 PM, room H-313 The Capitol

Wednesday

• House Agriculture Committee hearing to review the state of the rural economy; 10:00 AM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development budget hearing on the Army Corps of Engineers, Civil Works; 10:30 AM, room 2362-B Rayburn House Office Building
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development hearing to review the Fiscal Year 2016 funding request and budget justification for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the U.S. Department of the Interior; 2:30 PM, room 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building
• House Energy and Commerce Committee mark up of H.R. 212, the Drinking Water Protection Act (would require U.S. EPA to develop a strategic plan for protecting drinking water from algal toxins); opening statements for the markup are Wednesday, 5:00 PM, room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building; markup is Thursday, Feb. 12, at 10 AM in the same room (see below).

Thursday

• House Agriculture Committee business meeting to consider the fiscal year 2016 Budget Views and Estimates Letter for the agencies and programs under jurisdiction of the Committee; 9:30 AM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building
• House Energy and Commerce Committee mark up of H.R. 212, the Drinking Water Protection Act (would require U.S. EPA to develop a strategic plan for protecting drinking water from algal toxins); opening statements for the markup are Wednesday, 5:00 PM, room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building; markup is Thursday, Feb. 12, at 10 AM in the same room (see above).
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development budget hearing - Bureau of Reclamation; 10:30 AM, room 2362-B Rayburn House Office Building