Asian Carp Symposium to Be Held in Washington, DC During National Invasive Species Awareness Week

Save the date for a special Capitol Hill symposium during National Invasive Species Awareness Week and Great Lakes Days to learn more about federal, state, local, nonprofit, and private coordinating efforts and response to combat invasive Asian carp in the Ohio River watershed, Upper Mississippi River basin, Mississippi Delta, Missouri River, and Great Lakes.

When: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 – 3:30 to 5 PM (EST)
Where: U.S. Capitol Visitor Center’s Congressional Meeting Room South

Presenters will include representatives of the business, governmental, and environmental communities, who will speak of  best control and management practices, proposed legislation, and strategies across all  river and lake watersheds.  Attendees will have the opportunity to pick up additional information on Asian carp both in general and specific to different water basins.

USDA Announces Conservation Innovation Grant Availability for Mississippi River Basin Work

Today (February 14) the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 to, as put by NRCS, "stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies."

Among several grant categories there is a special "Mississippi River Basin Category" for this CIG grant cycle. Under that category pre-proposals must address "(1) at least one bulleted topic specific to the Mississippi River Basin and (2) the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI) objectives to manage and optimize nutrient management, reduce downstream nutrient loads, maintain agricultural productivity, and enhance wildlife and other ecosystem services." The NRCS announcement contains nearly four pages of "bulleted topics" specific to the River Basin, under the general categories of Program Outreach, Water Management, Soil Health, Vegetative Practices, Nutrient Management, and Adaptive Management.

Support of this program in FY 2013 will be up to $25 million, nationally. At least 50 percent of the total cost of CIG projects must come from non-federal matching funds, including cash and in-kind contributions provided by the grant recipient.

The CIG grant award process is a two-step process, and only pre-proposals are being solicited at this time. Applications for the pre-proposal phase should be received by NRCS before 4 p.m. (EDT) on March 15. NRCS will announce the selected CIG pre-proposal applications by April 5, and selected applicants will be required to submit a full proposal to NRCS by May 3.

Here is the link to the full CIG grant announcement.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week-Early Edition

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -

• Clean Water Act lawsuit filed by Springfield, Illinois against the US Environmental Protection Agency may be settled http://sgfnow.co/U5XCab
• Group cites problems with Kentucky Energy cabinet’s proposed new standard for selenium pollution in water http://cjky.it/U62trN
• Vermillion River Watershed District working to address groundwater and surface water contamination from agriculture http://bit.ly/YoMcLD
• Kansas company to pay $2.3 Million to EPA for past Clean Water Act violations and clean up costs (2007 oil spill) http://1.usa.gov/VSgMCe

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

Click to enlarge

• Army Corps says Missouri River will be low, but navigable during upcoming navigation season despite drought http://bit.ly/VWVGNM
• Farmers, environmentalists await seventh analysis of 60-year-old, New Madrid flood plain, Mississippi River levee plan http://wapo.st/VPsAjs
• Ag Professional Editorial: Mississippi River levee gap may be closed to the benefit of New Madrid flood plain farming http://bit.ly/VWXnuu
• Op-ed: "It's Time to Talk About the Future of U.S. Water Infrastructure" http://huff.to/YRUNsn
• Army Corps of Engineers awards its final levee repair contract to repair 2011 Missouri River flood damage http://bit.ly/X4KJKp
• Railroads would be shipping option if barges cannot move enough cargo through drought-starved Missouri River basin http://bit.ly/X4KZJp
• Army Corps of Engineers asked to explain why it allowed Missouri River water use for oil drilling but not navigation http://bloom.bg/YoMVwd
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Chair: committee will work first on new Water Resources Development Act http://bit.ly/XavAXO
• House passes Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act, would streamline small hydropower project permitting http://bit.ly/Xav7oE

Drought-

National Climatic Data Center
Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge)

• U.S. drought conditions continued to improve in the Upper Midwest and Northern and Southern Plains this past week http://bit.ly/rak0SU

Farm Bill-

• Lobbyist speculates that Farm Bill may not move until after May; more likely between September and December (if at all) http://bit.ly/Z5dNY4
• AGree group issues series of 2013 Position Papers on Farm Bill issues being debated in Congress and the Administration http://bit.ly/Z5eeBO
• House Ag Committee Ranking Member sees Farm Bill work starting "after we deal with all of these budget issues" http://bit.ly/XaBf05 (video)

Agriculture -

• U of IL Agricultural Economists: Ethanol Blend Wall, Biodiesel Production Capacity, and the RFS; Something Has to Give http://bit.ly/XaCs7E
• Senate Committee hearing: Drought, Fire and Freeze-Economics of Disasters for Agricultural Producers; info here: http://1.usa.gov/YJ0clc
• 20 ethanol plants cease production as farmers struggle to produce corn during ongoing drought http://b.globe.com/YRVPEK
• Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduces bill to set a per-farm Federal subsidy cap maximum at $250,000/year http://bit.ly/VSifbN and http://1.usa.gov/VSigMV
• Southern cotton farmers expected to shift significant acreage into more profitable corn and soybean crops http://bloom.bg/VSiBir

In the Cities -

• Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative mayors to hold meeting in St. Cloud, MN, June 26-28 http://on.sctimes.com/VWWD8R

In the States -

• Kentucky state legislative hearing held on administration proposals to weaken water quality standards for selenium http://cjky.it/YoMCl9

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Environmental groups file Notice of Intent to Sue for TN strip mine threatened species impacts, including Blackside Dace http://bit.ly/Z5inFP
• 10 ways to observe National Invasive Species Awareness Week (March 3-8) http://bit.ly/Z5o0DN (Week's web page: http://www.nisaw.org/)
• 2012 fish surveys indicate rainbow and brown trout numbers are up in Montana's Missouri River http://bit.ly/X4KrTK

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council announces Louisiana public hearings re: BP oil spill fine money http://bit.ly/Z5hVXX

Resource Extraction -

• U.S. House hearing: how states regulate hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas; Feb 15; 9:30 AM http://1.usa.gov/YlHePz
• Environmental concerns about Winona County, Minnesota frac sand mining expansion are voiced by a competing firm http://bit.ly/U61UON

Federal Budget -

• Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY): $85 billion in automatic spending cuts very likely to go into effect March 1 http://bit.ly/VSiROr
• House Appropriations Committee crafting spending bill to extend current continuing resolution through Sept. 30 politi.co/Ufsyol

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

• March 3-8: National Invasive Species Awareness Week; Washington, DC-Arlington, VA; website: http://bit.ly/4vuLqO agenda http://bit.ly/Z5nfe2
• Conference on Students as Catalysts for Large Landscape Conservation; Colby College, ME, March 1, 2013 http://bit.ly/ST19XC
• Izaac Walton League-MN Summit: “Watershed/Water Management Solutions–Policy to Action” Feb 23, all day, Bloomington, MN http://bit.ly/VdEuGr

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• Tennessee Clean Water Network February 10 e-newsletter http://bit.ly/Z5iFwh
• National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (Alton, IL) February e-news update http://bit.ly/Z5jCon
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's "Waterfront Bulletin" for February 2013 http://bit.ly/Z5kHg3
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's "Watershed Network News" - February 13 issue http://bit.ly/V9pdce
• Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota e-newsletter http://bit.ly/VdFtXp (with coverage of new MN "ag certainty" program)

Other news-

• US House members establish bipartisan "Mississippi River Valley and Tributaries Caucus" http://1.usa.gov/VPsTKZ
• In light of reduced global phosphorus supplies, researchers investigate its conservation and recovery in soil and waste http://bit.ly/U5Yj36
• Sen. Johanns (R-NE) introduces bills to promote "greater transparency and accountability" of EPA regulatory process http://1.usa.gov/ZaLlUL
• Wisconsin DNR plans to transform Poynette environmental education center into hunting and fishing training center http://bit.ly/VWW9Q2

Political Scene -

• Poll: USDA Secretary Vilsack is Iowa's top choice in race for retiring Sen. Harkin's (D) US Senate seat http://bit.ly/11YaO4s
• Republicans nominate state Rep. Jason Smith for open US House seat in Missouri 8th District; June 4 special election http://bit.ly/Z5dmwP
• Iowa state Rep. Pat Murphy announces that he will seek Iowa's US House 1st District seat being vacated by Braley http://bit.ly/XazCzy

Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei

Last Word -  "The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do." – Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei,  born on February 15, 1564.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

EPA Seeks Comments on 2014-2016 National Enforcement Initiatives

Every three years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") develops (with public input) national enforcement initiatives that serve to "focus civil and criminal enforcement resources and expertise on serious pollution problems affecting communities." On January 28, the EPA published notice in the Federal Register that it was accepting public comment and recommendations for its proposed fiscal year 2014–16 national enforcement initiatives (link here to the Federal Register notice PDF file). From a water standpoint, the 2014-16 proposed national enforcement initiatives include municipal infrastructure: "addressing sewage discharges from combined sewer systems, sanitary sewer systems, and municipal separate storm sewer systems;" and preventing runoff from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (or "CAFOs") from contaminating ground and surface water. Comments can be submitted through February 27 through this Internet site.

U.S. Congress in 2013: House Natural Resources Committee
Our series previewing the U.S. Congress in 2013 continues this week with an overview of the House Natural Resources Committee, and possible Committee work during the 113th Congress relating to Mississippi River Basin water issues. Lead by its Chair Doc Hastings (R-WA), and Ranking Member Edward Markey (D-MA), the Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over several Federal natural resource issues of importance from a Mississippi River Basin perspective. Those include fisheries and wildlife, including research, restoration, refuges and conservation; forest reserves and national parks; the U.S. Geological Survey; interstate compacts relating to apportionment of waters for irrigation; irrigation and reclamation, including water supplies for reclamation projects and easements of public lands for irrigation projects; coastal zone management; public lands in general; and oceanography. The preview (available in full here) has complete Committee member rosters, and highlights and includes links to Congressional Internet home pages for the Committee's nine Mississippi River Basin members. To view previous coverage of Mississippi Basin-relevant 113th Congress' Senate and House committees, see:

• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
• Senate and House Agriculture Committees
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• EPA seeks comment on proposed fiscal year 2014–16 national enforcement initiatives; include sewer overflows; CAFOs http://1.usa.gov/VyUzUj (see story above)
• Environmental groups protest water pollution agreement reached between Kentucky environmental regulators and mining companies http://bit.ly/VyYHUq
• Coast Guard reopens Mississippi River to navigation in both directions after cleaning up thousands of gallons of oil http://bit.ly/Xj5m4G
• EPA Releases State Enforcement Performance Information and Comparative Maps http://1.usa.gov/14Gb4no (includes a "water" based map)

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

• Congressional Research Service: 113th Congress may face many issues related to water resources http://bit.ly/11q7NL0 (PDF file)
• Federal funding to improve Mississippi River’s lock and dam system was main topic at Iowa Governor's conference  http://bit.ly/12vYp82
• Environment and Public Works Committee materials and video from Thursday's hearing on Army Corps of Engineers water policy http://1.usa.gov/VySFDf
• Mississippi elected officials ask Army Corps to study impact of any proposed new southeast Louisiana levee construction http://bit.ly/VyZTXP
• Army Corps of Engineers seeks opinions on a proposed Little Missouri River bank project in North Dakota Badlands http://bit.ly/Xj4zRd
• Army Corps repairs totaling more than $180 million to flood-damaged Missouri River levees beginning to wind down http://bit.ly/Xj4NrA and http://bit.ly/Xj51Px
• Mississippi River could be a new passage for Canadian heavy crude oil in the race to bypass pipeline delays http://bit.ly/WpL1id
• U.S. ports, locks, dams and inland waterways are old, underinvested in, and too often ignored http://econ.st/YQt7rp
• Missouri's US Senators seek stakeholders meeting in effort to close 1500-foot Mississippi River levee gap in SE MO http://bit.ly/XnGo3W
• Army Corps' Winter middle Mississippi River dredging ends following removal of twice the average amount of sediment http://t.co/5gMs0GJp

Drought-

February 7 Drought Monitor Map
(click to enlarge) 

• National Drought Mitigation Center: US Midwest drought conditions continue to improve; Plains drought relief minimal    http://bit.ly/qBRrqC
• U.S. needs more than average precipitation to end drought, while normal to below-normal rainfall is forecast http://bloom.bg/XX2QRx
• National Geographic: How drought on Mississippi River impacts you http://bit.ly/WpGRa1
• NPR: Drought causes ripple effect along mighty Mississippi River http://n.pr/WpIlRJ

Farm Bill-

• Senate Agriculture Committee leadership shift could benefit Arkansas rice growers in farm bill debates http://bit.ly/XnFW5Z
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition analyzes Congressional Budget Office budget projection's farm bill impact http://bit.ly/XX1S7V (other CBO links below under "Federal Budget")

Agriculture -

• USDA: Climate change could have a drastic and harmful effect on U.S. agriculture http://1.usa.gov/XX2nik
• Senate Agriculture Committee hearing: “Drought, Fire and Freeze: The Economics of Disasters . . .” February 14 http://1.usa.gov/YJ0clc
• Farm subsidy cuts (outside of the farm bill negotiation) are back in play as a possible offset in sequester bargaining http://bit.ly/14Xsf4K
• Population drives food cost increases; UN Food & Agriculture Organization: global food output must rise 70% by 2050 http://bloom.bg/XkZyYv
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee top Republican calls for reevaluating EPA's biofuel-blending mandate http://bit.ly/YQtja9
• Farmers could see less opportunity to enroll in some conservation programs if ‘sequestration’ go into effect http://bit.ly/XnFvIR
New York Times op-ed: The Global Farmland Rush http://t.co/oIyeynUE

In the States -

• Violations reported by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in last half of 2012 more than double over prior period http://bit.ly/Xj95iK
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency seeking comments on permit that regulates construction stormwater throughout state http://bit.ly/XnEP6i

In the Cities -

• Louisville, KY Mayor Greg Fisher charts environmental vision for city in draft sustainability plan http://cjky.it/WpKKMr

Forestry -

• USFS: Effects of Climatic Variability and Change on Forest Ecosystems; article: http://bit.ly/TOkdI3 report PDF file: http://1.usa.gov/XX2zho
• Minneapolis, MN recognized as one of best for urban forests in United States out of 50 largest cities http://bit.ly/XnEhgE

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• 23 GOP Senators question administration's proposed changes to Endangered Species Act economic impact analyses http://1.usa.gov/VyZ9BO
• Lake Winnibigoshish, Minnesota is the latest premier state lake to become infested with zebra mussels http://bit.ly/WpKflx
• New USA Rice Federation-Ducks Unlimited partnership to address rice production, waterfowl and water conservation http://bit.ly/Xl2ofT
• Writer suggests giant Asian carp statue in Peoria, IL http://bit.ly/Vzk1ZN
• Asian carp invade Will County Forest Preserve's 84-acre lake in Joliet, Illinois http://bit.ly/YWeP8A
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Dry conditions; habitat loss will significantly and negatively impact ducks http://bit.ly/XpR3Lx
Minnesota cancels its annual moose hunt after scientists report 35% drop in the state's population http://on.wsj.com/Xqy8jH

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Dispute flares over spending plans for more than $20 billion in BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill fines http://bit.ly/WVKceB
• BP hit by new $34B Deepwater Horizon claim from local and state governments, including Louisiana and Mississippi http://bit.ly/XpRRjA

Resource Extraction -

• Marcellus shale gas fracking and drilling continue to "produce jobs and controversy" in West Virginia http://bit.ly/Xj86z3
• Frac sand mining companies leverage jobs and money to get their will in SE Minnesota and western Wisconsin communities http://bit.ly/Xj8xt7
• Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky coal production projected to be cut in half by 2020 http://bit.ly/Xj8P3h
• New York Times: The story of North Dakota's new oil boom, and its intended and unintended results http://nyti.ms/YOM11Q
• At University of Tennessee's request, Tennessee panel delays decision on fracking research project http://bit.ly/WpKvRu
• Red Wing, MN Mayor Dennis Egan has been hired to run frac sand industry lobbying and trade group http://bit.ly/XpRsOd

Federal Budget -

• CBO releases ‘budget baseline’- used by House and Senate Budget Committees to form fiscal 2014 budget plans http://1.usa.gov/XnF4ye
• Congressional Budget Office issues budget "baseline" projecting $845B budget deficit for 2013 http://bit.ly/XnDOv2
• Obama sequester plan already DOA as Republicans don't want to postpone spending cuts http://politi.co/XnBPXq
• House Appropriations Committee has started writing stopgap spending bill to fund government after March 27 http://bit.ly/TOizX0

Events -  Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar on this Blog page and here as a stand-alone calendar.

NCER 2013 Planning Committee Meeting
Chicago, Illinois

• National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration will host a sizable number of Mississippi Basin talks; late July-August; Chicago, IL http://bit.ly/14Eo24V
• Ohio Stormwater Conference; May 8-10, Sharonville Convention Center http://bit.ly/zESU32
• Women in Agriculture conference, March 22, Rock Island, IL - Quad-Cities Online http://dlvr.it/2v9q26
• Free EPA Webinar, Stormwater Overview & Lessons Learned, February 12 http://bit.ly/XnD9JO
NOAA Announces Webinar on "Understanding Monitoring and Drought" February 12; 1 PM ET http://1.usa.gov/14GQ7ZA

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• The Army Corps' winter edition of "Our Mississippi" is available here: www.ourmississippi.org (link at upper right corner)
• U.S. EPA Office of Water's weekly edition of "Water Headlines" http://bit.ly/XnEuAl

Other news-

• U.S. Senate launches bipartisan Mississippi River Caucus in effort to encourage commerce and address other issues http://bit.ly/YJj1oz
• The Advocate editorial: "Mighty Mississippi River getting some vital attention" from The Big River Works initiative http://townta.lk/TkM02I
• Minnesota Department of Transportation receives national award for its 800-mile Mississippi River Trail bikeway http://bit.ly/WqdK6t
• Pennsylvanians choose Monongahela as 2013 River of the Year http://bit.ly/YQsfmO
• Sen. Murkowski (R-AK) lays out GOP's Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee legislative priorities  http://cs.pn/Xl1HDv
• Water Research Foundation announces almost $3 million for research projects focused on drinking water http://bit.ly/XnCN6f
• New proposed House bill is first in the year to address the renewable fuel standard; would change EPA mandate http://1.usa.gov/UEeq9H

Political Scene -

• Iowa Democratic U.S. House Rep. Bruce Braley to run for Harkin's empty Senate seat in 2014 http://usat.ly/UHM3rc
• We can expect a competitive race for Braley's Iowa US house seat (Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo area) http://bit.ly/VIlNI5
• Former state Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D) announces that he is running for Congress in Colorado’s 6th District http://bit.ly/VyTxaO
• Top air quality official reportedly President's preferred choice to head Environmental Protection Agency http://bit.ly/VyTPyr
• Outgoing EPA head Lisa Jackson's deepest regret: failing to reach out to rural, often conservative U.S. regions http://reut.rs/Xl55y9
• Sally Jewell is President Obama’s pick to lead Department of Interior http://wapo.st/YFuFAK
• Vulnerable US Senate Dem Mississippi Basin  incumbents in 2014: Johnson (SD),  Landrieu (LA), Pryor  (AR), Baucus (MT) http://lat.ms/YWd5MF

Last Word -

“People are in danger of losing their patrimony, not to mention their sources of food.”- Michael Kugelman, in a February 6, 2013, New York Times op-ed entitled "The Global Farmland Rush."  Kugelman is a senior program associate at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and is co-editor of “The Global Farms Race: Land Grabs, Agricultural Investment, and the Scramble for Food Security.”

EPA Solicits Comments on 2014-2016 National Enforcement Initiatives

Every three years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") develops (with public input) national enforcement initiatives that serve to "focus civil and criminal enforcement resources and expertise on serious pollution problems affecting communities." On January 28, the EPA published notice in the Federal Register that it was accepting public comment and recommendations for its proposed fiscal year 2014–16 national enforcement initiatives (link here to the notice PDF file).

The 2014-16 proposed national enforcement initiatives largely mirror those developed for the 2011-2013 fiscal years, and, from a water standpoint, include municipal infrastructure - "addressing sewage discharges from combined sewer systems, sanitary sewer systems, and municipal separate storm sewer systems;" and preventing runoff from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (or "CAFOs") from contaminating ground and surface water.

Comments can be submitted through February 27 through this Internet site.

U.S. Congress in 2013: House Natural Resources Committee

Our series previewing the U.S. Congress in 2013 continues this week with an overview of the House Natural Resources Committee, and possible Committee work during the 113th Congress relating to Mississippi River Basin water issues. Lead by its Chair, Doc Hastings (R-WA), and Ranking Member Edward Markey (D-MA), the Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over several Federal natural resource issues of importance from a Mississippi River Basin perspective.  Those include fisheries and wildlife, including research, restoration, refuges and conservation; forest reserves and national parks;  the U.S. Geological Survey; interstate compacts relating to apportionment of waters for irrigation; irrigation and reclamation, including water supplies for reclamation projects and easements of public lands for irrigation projects; coastal zone management (except for issues relating to pollution of navigable waters); public lands in general; and oceanography.

Reps. Hastings and Markey return to the same Committee leadership positions that they held during the 112th Congress, when they led the predominantly-Western populated Committee in efforts to expand oil and gas development on public land and in off-coast waters such as in the Gulf of Mexico.  The two leaders in the past have been at odds, particularly on issues where Markey (one of the most liberal House Members) promoted or opposed ideas in conflict with the aims of the Committee's majority (i.e., such as championing renewable energy, or opposing nuclear and oil industry expansion).  During the last Congress, the panel consistently pushed back on the Obama Administration's use of Executive Orders to set aside land for protection, and that trend should continue into 2013.

The Committee will likely conduct hearings early this year on any Obama Administration Energy and Interior Department budget proposals under its jurisdiction, and the year may see the Committee take up reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act ("ESA"), a law that was last updated over 23 years ago.  The last serious attempt to reauthorize the ESA occurred (and failed) in 2005.  In the last Congress, the Committee held several ESA oversight hearings, indicating its ongoing interest in the extent of the law's reach and impact.  Those hearings primarily focused on ESA litigation and settlements.  Rep. Hastings, in particular, has seen an ESA overhaul as something that Congress should focus on.  

Below, alphabetically by party, is the Committee member roster.  It highlights the Committee's 13 new members (italicized) and the eight members from Mississippi River Basin districts (underlined), and includes links to Congressional Internet home pages for the Committee's Mississippi River Basin members.

Majority Members

• Mark Eugene Amodei (R-NV-2)
• Daniel J. Benishek (R-MI-1)
• Robert Bishop (R-UT-1)
• Paul C. Broun, Jr., MD (R-GA-10)
• Kevin J. Cramer (R-ND-AT LARGE)
• Steve Daines (R-MT-AT LARGE)
• Jeffrey D. Duncan (R-SC-3)
• John Calvin Fleming, Jr. (R-LA-4)
• William H. Flores (R-TX-17)
• Louie Gohmert (R-TX-2)
• Dr. Paul Anthony Gosar (R-AZ-1)
• Andrew P. Harris (R-MD-1)
• Doc Hastings (R-WA-4) Chair
• Raúl Rafael Labrador (R-ID-1)
• Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1)
• Douglas L. Lamborn (R-CO-5)
• Cynthia Marie Lummis (R-WY-AT LARGE)
• Thomas McClintock (R-CA-4)
• Markwayne Mullin (R-OK-2)
• Jon Daniel Runyan (R-NJ-3)
• William Steve Southerland, II (R-FL-2)
• Chris Stewart (R-UT-2)
• Glenn W. Thompson (R-PA-5)
• Scott R. Tipton (R-CO-3)
• Robert J. Wittman (R-VA-1)
• Donald Edwin Young (R-AK-AT LARGE)

Minority Members

• Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU)
• Tony Cardenas (D-CA-29)
• Matthew Cartwright (D-PA-17)
• Jim Costa (D-CA-20)
• Peter A. DeFazio (D-OR-4)
• Eni F. H. Faleomavaega (D-AS)
• Jose Antonio Garcia (D-FL-26)
• Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ-7)
• Colleen Wakako Hanabusa (D-HI-1)
• Rush D. Holt (D-NJ-12)
• Steven A. Horsford (D-NV-4)
• Jared William Huffman (D-CA-2)
• Alan S. Lowenthal (D-CA-47)
• Edward J. Markey (D-MA-7) Ranking Minority Member
• Grace Flores Napolitano (D-CA-38)
• Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-6)
• Pedro R. Pierluisi (D-PR)
• Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36)
• Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-MP)
• Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-1)
• Nicola S. Tsongas (D-MA-5)

The Committee office is located at Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

Telephone: (202) 225-2761
Fax: (202) 225-5929

To view our previous coverage of Mississippi Basin-relevant, Senate and House committees, see:
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Senate and House Agriculture Committees
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource News for the Week

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Senate EPW Committee Leaders Expect New WRDA Proposal Within Weeks
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Ranking Member David Vitter (R-LA) both emphasized in a Thursday (January 31) hearing that they intend to have a bipartisan Water Resources Development Act, or "WRDA," available for the Committee's and full Senate's consideration sometime within the next several weeks.  The bill would be intended in part, Sen. Boxer noted, to fix ongoing problems related to the funding for maintenance of and improvements to the nation's harbors and inland waterway navigation system.  In Thursday's hearing (information available here), focusing on the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, a consistent theme made by most Committee members and several witnesses was that far less than all of the revenues coming into that Trust Fund were being targeted each year for harbor maintenance work around the country.  And although not an official hearing topic, the insolvency of the Inland Waterways Trust Fund was also mentioned by panel members as a problem in search of a solution in a new WRDA bill.  For more information on WRDA and the January 31 hearing, you can see this Blog coverage.

U.S. Congress in 2013: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

Our series previewing the U.S. Congress in 2013 continues this week with an overview of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and possible Committee agenda items this year that relate to Mississippi River Basin water issues. The Energy and Natural Resources Committee has jurisdiction over several Federal issues important from a Mississippi River Basin perspective, including irrigation, water resource reclamation projects, including those related to flood control purposes, energy development impacts on water resources, groundwater resources and management, hydroelectric power and low head hydro power. The preview (available in full here) has complete Committee member rosters, and highlights and includes links to Congressional Internet home pages for the Committee's nine Mississippi River Basin members. To view previous coverage of the 113th Congress' Senate and House committees, see:
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Senate and House Agriculture Committees
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

Notable @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• EPA giving communities more time to clean up waters because of financial burden of stormwater; wastewater projects http://bit.ly/115rhn9
• EPA Memo "Assessing Financial Capability for Municipal Clean Water Act Requirements" http://bit.ly/115rMNT (re: Clean Water Act obligations)
• Iowa State U: Sediment deposition rate in Iowa lakes due to erosion has increased exponentially over last 50 years http://dmreg.co/TwX8e2
• Barge with 80,000 gallons oil hits Vicksburg, MS, Mississippi River bridge; leaks http://bit.ly/Ws1TEp but contained http://bloom.bg/Ws1YrK
• U of MN study: triclosan a dominant source of forms of dioxin in lakes which receive sewage treatment plant effluent http://bit.ly/YbOmjr
• Blue Spring Creek, Missouri considered sacred by Northern Cherokee Nation tribe in an effort to stop treatment plant http://bit.ly/YcdLJI
• Levels of perfluorinated chemicals found in Mississippi River fish below Twin Cities area declining but remain high http://bit.ly/VilfdJ
• Minnesota pollution agency finds PFCs diminishing in Mississippi River, although still at "significant" levels in spots http://bit.ly/XK3h1v
• EPA announces its approval of Missouri's change to state water quality standards rules http://1.usa.gov/ViqmKP
• WV Sierra Club; WV Highlands Conservancy; OH Valley Environmental Coalition threaten to sue EPA over alleged lax WV DEP oversight re: mining water pollution http://bit.ly/Wd7Aqh
• Appalachian Mountain Advocates; other groups move to restart lawsuit over Bush Administration mining 'stream buffer' rule http://bit.ly/XeBpUY (PDF of notice)

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

• Article looks at sediment transport dynamics in Mississippi River; proposes increasing dredged material beneficial use http://bit.ly/X40HDm
• Iowa flood planning goes high-tech, as new research models offer better data for future protection http://bit.ly/115tBdM
• Army Corps of Engineers seeks comments on development plans for Audubon Bend, along the Missouri River http://bit.ly/115wH1j
• New FEMA National Flood Insurance Program maps could be good news for many New Orleans-area flood-insurance customers http://bit.ly/TLLXhO
• Mississippi River barge crash and oil spill occurred at one of the two most difficult turns on the river http://bit.ly/XK3xh9
• More than 1,000 barges were backed up Wednesday on Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi due to barge accident http://reut.rs/XnA8Lc
• International Energy Agency: fresh water consumption for energy production on track to double within next 25 years http://bit.ly/XnCIki
• Senate hearing testimony from President of Associated Branch Pilots focuses on Mississippi River navigation system http://1.usa.gov/Vq8egv

Drought-

January 29 U.S. Drought Monitor Map
Click to Enlarge

• National Drought Mitigation Center: Midwestern rain did not "move the drought off its mark;" so status quo is the word http://bit.ly/rak0SU
• Unrelenting drought gripping key farming states in the U.S. Plains shows no signs of abating http://reut.rs/WjeudN
• USDA: drought continues to hit Oklahoma http://1.usa.gov/129tLkG and Kansas http://1.usa.gov/129tNZH hard
• Army Corps of Engineers has begun final step of its project to keep drought-stricken Mississippi River open to barges http://reut.rs/Vw1Sl3
• Stretches of Upper Mississippi River near record-low levels http://1.usa.gov/WC0o6s
• Some drought-starved Midwestern rivers that had been near record low levels were on verge of flooding Wednesday http://bit.ly/XnzGwF

Farm Bill-

• 2013 farm bill fate could come down to early February meeting between House Speaker and Agriculture Ranking Member http://bit.ly/YbQ4kI
• Sen. Al Franken (D-MN): passing five-year Farm Bill will be a top priority; expects House to be more open to passage http://1.usa.gov/WjdZ3b

Agriculture -

• Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) announces that he will chair the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture http://1.usa.gov/Xnyt8w
• Three senators introduce legislation seeking to extend some lapsed agriculture disaster programs http://bit.ly/YbQFD3
• Federal appeals court rules that USEPA is overestimating amount of biofuel that can be produced http://bit.ly/YbRgET
• Environmental and Energy Study Institute: High Crop Prices Driving US Land Use Change at Increasing Environmental Cost http://bit.ly/YbTeFf
• University of Iowa professor: Midwestern U.S. aquifers being pumped at an unsustainable rate because of corn ethanol http://bit.ly/T2R9fK
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency "Feedlot Update" covers Ag water quality certification program 'listening sessions' http://bit.ly/XK15qP
• MN Dept of Ag to host public meetings seeking input on proposed state Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program http://bit.ly/XK1slg
• Project aims to teach farmers how to best apply fertilizers to avoid unnecessary nitrous gases from reaching atmosphere http://bit.ly/WC4HhZ
• Side by side comparison of organic and conventional agriculture indicates that organic is better for environment http://bit.ly/Xaufzl

In the States -

• Iowa Environmental Protection Commission approves new way of funding $15M/year in water quality improvement projects http://bit.ly/129sl9D

In the Cities -

• City of St. Paul, MN proposes stormwater management program to state http://bit.ly/Wr3erW public comment period open http://bit.ly/Wr3hUN
• Minneapolis, MN Stormwater Management Program proposal to state open for public comment http://bit.ly/Wr3vLF  Plan: http://bit.ly/Wr3Aiu

Forestry -

• WWF's Zero Net Deforestation and Forest Degradation goal to stem forest-based biodiversity-ecosystem services depletion http://bit.ly/iwKrAz

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• United States Geological Survey and National Wildlife Federation map depicts spread of invasive Asian carp since 1970s http://bit.ly/Xat0jK
• Wisconsin's Natural Resources Board considers which species to list as endangered http://bit.ly/XFwoDO
• Annual aerial surveys show ducks making good use of Illinois River Valley, as duck use trends upward http://bit.ly/XB1vjc
• MN DNR Aquatic invasive species training available for Minnesota lake service providers http://bit.ly/Wr4nzW
• Minnesota hunters and anglers: a warming climate is already affecting fish and wildlife across U.S. and in the state http://bit.ly/Xatma7
• Minnesota’s U.S. senators will co-sponsor new legislation to help stop spread of Asian carp up the Mississippi River http://bit.ly/XUSJxm

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Gulf Coastal restoration task force approves $57.8 million for wetlands projects, begins to design four more http://bit.ly/TwY2aB
• Mississippi River Delta Science & Engineering Team answers "10 Fundamental Questions About the Mississippi River Delta" http://bit.ly/QJ6TDb
• Pipeline construction to deliver Mississippi River sediment to Barataria Basin to create coastal land may start in 2013 http://bit.ly/XsARcT
• New USGS and NOAA report outlines the extent of known science regarding climate change in coastal regions. Press release: http://1.usa.gov/Vt7egO Report: http://1.usa.gov/XMMqvG (PDF file)
• Study designed to protect and restore Southwest Louisiana's coastline could be finished next year; nearly 3 years late http://bit.ly/XK3Xnt

Resource Extraction -

• Natural gas fracking is coming to Illinois; while environmental concerns and disagreement over state taxes rise http://bit.ly/TwWlKc
• East Tennessee may soon find itself front and center in the growing fracking debate http://bit.ly/Ycdjv1
• Environmental groups ask State to prevent use of fracking drilling technique on forested University of Tennessee tract http://bit.ly/XnFuWQ
• University of Tennessee releases details of its controversial fracking project proposal http://bit.ly/XnGdqZ

Federal Budget -

• Both parties predicting that deep, across-the-board spending cuts will probably hit U.S. federal agencies on March 1 http://wapo.st/Wf9uXD
• House GOP leaders insist that across-the-board sequestration cuts are coming, while senators scramble for solutions http://nyti.ms/WjehHv
• Once unthinkable, severe Federal spending cuts (sequestration) now seem plausible http://bit.ly/W4oFCJ
• Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) predicts that the Federal budget "sequester is going to happen” on March 1 http://bit.ly/YbPtzJ

Events -  Information on all past and future events listed here can be viewed in the on-line calendar on this Blog page and also as a stand-alone calendar.

• Sustainability Summit and Exposition: Sustainability: An Economic and Ecologic Imperative; March 6-8, Milwaukee, WI http://bit.ly/129rm9A
• EPA Stormwater Webcast:  Overview & Lessons Learned, Feb 12, 1-3 PM ET flier:  http://1.usa.gov/129sXvZ register: http://bit.ly/129sVnR
• MN Dept of Ag to host public meetings seeking input on proposed state Agriculture Water Quality Certification Program http://bit.ly/XK1slg
• 68th Annual meeting of the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee; March 20-22; Winona, MN http://bit.ly/Xnwot4
• Eighth Annual running of the Missouri River 340 (340-mile canoe race ) is set for July 23-26 http://bit.ly/Xav23h

e-Newsletters, Publications and Journals -

• Weekly Newsletter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water: "Water Headlines" http://bit.ly/VlxV1C
• Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee Winter 2012 Newsletter (PDF file) http://bit.ly/WC5Hms

Other news-

• Monsanto Co. succeeds but continues to have its share of controversy: "Battered, Bruised, and Still Growing" http://on.wsj.com/XK2Sfz
• National Caucus of Environmental Legislators asks President to address climate change during second term http://www.ncel.net/ (PDF file of letter: http://bit.ly/XnEfqP)

Political Scene -

• Washington Post: The reason the makeup of the U.S. Congress hasn't really changed and won’t change (in two charts) http://wapo.st/129BjDY
• Former U.S. congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) is interested in replacing Ray LaHood as transportation secretary http://bit.ly/129Byic
• Iowa Democratic US Senator Tom Harkin will not seek 6th Senate term, says ‘it’s time’ http://wapo.st/VpUirX
• Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley (IA-1) exploring a bid for US Sen. Tom Harkin's seat when Harkin retires http://bit.ly/YbN5sx
• Iowa Republicans lining up to vie for U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) http://bit.ly/XGrIg9
• New Louisville Courier-Journal poll finds that Senate Minority Leader McConnell (R-KY) has weak public support http://politi.co/Wd7TS9
• Former Rep. John Boccieri, Democrat from central Ohio, will attempt to return to Congress in 2014 http://bit.ly/129u7rx

Last Word - "Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present." - The first sentence of a 1000-plus-page "The US National Climate Assessment Report," authored by the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee.  The draft report is available for review on-line here and is open for public comment through April 12, 2013.  Among the report's key findings: "There is increasing risk of seasonal water shortage . . . as well as water contamination due to sediment and contaminant concentrations caused by heavy downpours."