Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

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

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rebuffs coal company on West Virginia water quality conductivity appeal http://ow.ly/DtCpZ
• National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Public Lands Council ask Administration to withdraw proposed Clean Water Act rule http://ow.ly/Dvu1P
• National Association of Conservation Districts requests that current version of proposed Clean Water Act jurisdiction rule be withdrawn to provide time to clarify uncertainties and risks http://ow.ly/DzgFP
• Kansas officials contend they find evidence contrary to EPA’s connectivity science lying behind proposed Clean Water Act rule http://ow.ly/DCpor
• EPA inspection reveals Clean Water Act violations at Winifred Feed Lot near Frankfort, Kansas http://ow.ly/Dwpyy
• Supreme Court asked to consider whether Clean Water Act Louisiana wetland determination can be challenged in court http://ow.ly/DClaL (story: http://ow.ly/DClvy)
• Public review period open for FEMA's draft Environmental and Historic Preservation Guidance for Federal Disaster Recovery Assistance Applicants http://ow.ly/DCmHe

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

• "Till the Well Runs Dry: Is Wisconsin’s greatest resource being sacrificed by short-sighted politics?" http://ow.ly/Dzcua
• Louisiana sues Corps of Engineers for $3 billion cost of repairing Mississippi River-Gulf

  

  North Platte River

  Outlet damaged wetlands http://ow.ly/Dwogv
• Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Basin Water Management Division holds series of public meetings on its draft 2014-2015 Operating Plan http://ow.ly/Dhody - - Comments due November 21 (draft plan: http://ow.ly/Dhosw)
• Pueblo (Colorado) Conservancy District awards contract for phase one of a project to repair the aging Arkansas River levee http://ow.ly/Dhn17
• Annual fall North Platte River system report contains good news regarding 2015 irrigation water supplies http://ow.ly/DzcZP
• Casper officials approve $2 million grant for North Platte River riparian and aquatic restoration http://ow.ly/Dzdzk
• Army Corps seeks to evaluate possible Lewis and Clark Lake sediment solution in pilot flushing at small Nebraska dam http://ow.ly/Dz7Ri
• Army Corps of Engineers plans to lower Missouri River reservoirs in the Dakotas before spring http://ow.ly/Dz8HG
• Second Minnesota River Congress focus is on facilitating environmental, economic, and social vitality in the basin http://ow.ly/Dz9xv
• Army Corps hears concerns at meeting from public and officials of repeat of 2011 Missouri River flooding http://ow.ly/DzbeQ

Agriculture -

• USDA rolls out new farm bill conservation compliance web-page-hosted information for producers, other interested parties http://ow.ly/DCsZX
• Evidence from pilot studies suggests crop and rainfall insurance have an impact on farmers’ behaviors http://ow.ly/Dz138
• Projections indicate that soybeans will be more profitable than corn in 2014; may influence 2015 planting decisions http://ow.ly/Dvt43 

  

  Example USDA NASS Census Map

• USDA NRCS to offer over $4 million to help Midwestern farmers improve bee habitat and thereby boost crop productivity http://ow.ly/DwBt6
• USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service releases new set of U.S. agricultural census maps; story: http://ow.ly/DCjtp NASS page: http://ow.ly/DCjw8

Climate and Weather -

• US drought update: small parts of Minnesota and the Dakotas abnormally dry; little change in Oklahoma and Louisiana drought conditions http://ow.ly/wmTdv 

  

  Photograph: Design Pics Inc/Alamy

• NOAA Climate Prediction Center monthly drought outlook for November (will be published at 3 PM ET on Friday, October 31) http://ow.ly/q3yAx
• U.S. insurance industry seeks to avoid climate change risks by limiting coverage in high risk markets http://ow.ly/DnV5A

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Advocates press Army Corps of Engineers to end operations at Mississippi River's Ford dam, Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam to block Asian carp from spreading upriver http://ow.ly/Dhhao
• Minnesota DNR wants multi-state rules for Mississippi River anglers http://ow.ly/DhmnM
• Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference covered latest efforts to manage  invasive species 

  

  Mississippi River in Minneapolis

  in North America http://ow.ly/DnVUR
• Fish and Wildlife Service grants Endangered Species Act protections to two Great Plains butterflies http://ow.ly/DnWIM
• Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility sues FWS over killing of cormorants to protect fish in 24 states, including Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wisconsin http://ow.ly/DyYKu
• Fish and Wildlife Service considering placing common snapping turtle and other freshwater turtles on international endangered species list http://ow.ly/Dz27L Federal Register Notice: http://ow.ly/Dz2kA

In the Cities -

• Design unveiled for new proposed park on Minneapolis riverfront http://t.co/EUebh6Ln1W
• Brainerd, Minnesota Public Utilities Board decides to once again stop chlorinating city drinking water http://ow.ly/DwnG9 (groundwater source)
• Name of new Stillwater park along St. Croix River narrowed to one of six http://ow.ly/Dz8qE

In the States-

• New Iowa large livestock operation, clean water rule goes into effect with support of farm groups http://ow.ly/DpmdT
• Minnesota regulators are considering banning or restricting a controversial class of neonicotinoid insecticides http://ow.ly/DwmWl
• North Dakota to decide in ballot measure whether to put five percent of future oil revenue into conservation http://ow.ly/DsBgo
• State commission evaluating West Virginia's drinking water systems may ask state lawmakers to delay new, spill-motivated regulations http://ow.ly/DtCDU

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Two energy companies settle over wetland damage with Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East (levee authority) for $50,000 http://ow.ly/DCy6I
• Public comments sought on RESTORE Act draft NOAA science plan's long-term priorities for Gulf of Mexico ecosystem research http://ow.ly/Dz95y
• USDA,  National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to provide $40 million for Gulf of Mexico coastal restoration on private lands http://ow.ly/DtBsa (also see article below)
• USDA announces new partnership with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support ongoing Gulf restoration http://ow.ly/DvsDv
• "The Great Invisible" documentary about the aftermath of BP’s 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill is nuanced and cinematic http://ow.ly/DCcNy

Resource Development -

• U.S. oil and gas industry told by Washington political consultant to exploit greed and anger, use dirty tricks, in efforts to drill in more places http://ow.ly/DCdvu

Forestry -

• The 2014 U.S. Capitol Christmas tree was cut Wednesday from the Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota http://ow.ly/DhrkV and will be sent on its way Sunday with a ceremonial "drink" from the Mississippi River's headwaters http://ow.ly/DhrDJ

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)

• USEPA Webinar: Innovative Financing for Green Infrastructure; November 4, 1–2:30 PM EST http://ow.ly/DCnsC
• Water Environment Federation Webinar: Potential Impacts of Waters of the U.S. Rulemaking on Stormwater Infrastructure, November 6; 3-5 PM ET http://ow.ly/DyOAd
• Ohio Wetlands Summit, November 15-16, Columbus, Ohio http://ow.ly/Ds1yg
• 2015 Ohio Stormwater Conference - Call for Abstracts, May 6-8, Kalahari Resort and Conference Center, Sandusky, Ohio http://ow.ly/DpqFs
• Association of State Floodplain Managers 2015 Annual National Conference: Mitigation on My Mind, Atlanta, GA, May 31-June 5 http://ow.ly/DhXd3 (presentation proposal abstracts due October 31)
• St. Croix River Association announces route for the 2015 Paddle Namekagon; June 13-19, 2015 http://ow.ly/DnYSl

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Gulf Restoration Network's October 30 Gulf Waves e-newsletter http://ow.ly/DChLK
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency River Connections for October 2014 http://ow.ly/Dih0K
• Winners of the National Environmental Education Foundation 2014 Algal Bloom Photo Contest http://ow.ly/Dp9Ut
• The fall edition of the “Our Mississippi” magazine is now available http://ow.ly/Ds2Ec
• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch, Oct 2 featuring events, job announcement, Frosty Beaver Moon, Legacies of the River http://ow.ly/DsDLu
• Association of State Floodplain Managers' October "News and Views" http://ow.ly/DtBXQ
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's TUWaterWays e-newsletter for October 28 http://ow.ly/Dzyl6
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's October 30 Watershed News http://ow.ly/DCocW

Other news-

• Young artists' views of the Mississippi River http://ow.ly/DC3qH 

  

  Painting by 5th grader Joey Jacobson

• House plans vote on bill to prevent new EPA regulations, unless all supporting scientific data are publicly available http://ow.ly/Dz1yP
• EPA adds 23 chemicals, including BPA, to list of chemicals that will be scrutinized for possible regulation http://ow.ly/Dsz3g
• Two Wisconsin DNR Mississippi River program natural resource positions currently open  http://ow.ly/DwaoI
• Plaquemines Parish leaders discuss possibility of Ebola virus threat posed by commercial Mississippi River ship traffic http://ow.ly/Dzapt

Politics and People-

• The most competitive U.S. Senate races in the Mississippi River Basin, based on the most recent polling averages http://ow.ly/DsIpX
• Louisiana's U.S. Senate race expected to go to December runoff between incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) and Rep. Bill Cassidy (R) http://ow.ly/DpdM8
• Here's how the SEC's December 6 championship football game might determine the balance of political power in the U.S. Senate http://ow.ly/DpiTc
• Joni Ernst is the GOP's Senate nominee in Iowa: one of two states never to have sent a woman to Congress or elected a female governor ow.ly/Dwlfu
• Center for Responsive Politics analysis finds that the 2014 midterm election is going to be the most expensive in history http://ow.ly/DhjCe
• Roll Call: "Who are some of the hardest working men and women in Washington, D.C.? Congress, apparently." http://ow.ly/Dtmyc
• Wesleyan Media Project: Spending for over 2.2 million political ad airings this election cycle tops $1 billion; Iowa ranks second nationally in number of Senate ads http://bit.ly/1p4E86p
• Analysis of the Twitter accounts members of Congress (partisanly) follow http://ow.ly/DCwAq 
• A guide to possible recounts and their rules in the tossup Mississippi River Basin state and district midterm elections http://ow.ly/DCA2V

Your Moment of Zen -

Rainfall