Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next

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

June 10 Water Resources Reform and Development Act
Signature Ceremony

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

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

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

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

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

Agriculture -

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

  

  American agriculture in 1922 (click to enlarge)

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

Climate and Weather -

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

  

  June 10 Drought Monitor Map
  (click to enlarge)

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

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

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

In the Cities -

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

Louisiana Coastal Region-

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

Forestry -

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

Resource Development -

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

Federal Budget -

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

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

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

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

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

Other news-

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

Politics and People-

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

Last Word -

Syncrude Mildred Lake upgrade refinery

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

What We Learned This Week - Water Divides; Seersucker Unites

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

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

Capitol Hill Next Week - What to Watch For

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


Tuesday

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

Wednesday

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

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

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

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

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

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

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

Agriculture -

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

Climate and Weather -

June National Drought Outlook-NOAA
(click to enlarge)

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

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

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

  

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

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

In the Cities -

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

In the States-

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

Louisiana Coastal Region-

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

Forestry -

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

Resource Development -

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

Federal Budget -

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

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

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

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

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

Other news-

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

Politics and People-

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

Last Word -

Dame Jane Goodall

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

What We Learned This Week - The Cow Did It

A cow has been implicated in a natural gas liquid spill near a tributary of the Little Missouri River in North Dakota, while many cows have been implicated in the high levels of nitrates present in the Hastings, Minnesota area's drinking water supply.  In ruling against coal company subsidiaries, a Federal judge found that losing biological diversity in aquatic ecosystems, while leaving only pollution-tolerant species is "akin to the canary in a coal mine."  Some coal region House Members don't like the U.S. EPA's ability to veto Clean Water Act permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers, and they plan to introduce a bill to limit that power.  Citing the complexity of an EPA proposed rule that would codify the meaning of the Clean Water Act term, "Waters of the United States," stakeholders are asking for an extension of the proposal comment period beyond its current July 21 deadline.  The United Nations threw its annual World Environment Day party on Thursday, but not many celebrated . . . or even noticed.  The lengthy, expensive and heated Mississippi Senate race between Republicans Sen. Thad Cochran and state Sen. Chris McDaniel will be longer, costlier and hotter, after neither topped 50 percent in Tuesday's Republican party primary.  Citing legal concerns, Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal postponed signing a bill into law that would block a lawsuit seeking compensation from oil and gas companies for Louisiana coastal damages.  In the meantime, Louisiana State University researchers' models predict that a storm surge will swamp Southeastern Louisiana by the end of the century.  And last but not least, the President's pen is running out of ink.

USDA Hosting Three Public Regional Conservation Partnership Program Q&A Sessions

Critical Conservation Areas (Click to Enlarge)

The Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) will host three public Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) question and answer sessions for potentials partners and applicants who have questions or need clarification regarding the related Announcement for Public Funding (APF). The information on the three events (two webinars (June 9 and 18) and one in-person meeting (June 6, in Washington, DC)) can be found here. On May 27, the USDA designated three areas all or partially within the Mississippi River Basin among eight priority conservation areas that will have access to a "Critical Conservation Area" pool of RCPP funding to be made available nationwide.

NRCS staff will be available during the events to answer questions on the APF and clarify unclear points. The webinars will be conducted using Adobe Connect and all participants are encouraged to review the instructions prior to the event. Instructions are found on the website. The June 6, in-person event at the USDA headquarters (Whitten Building) will be available for in-person participants only and will not have call-in capability.

All three sessions will be recorded and available for playback on this same webpage.

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

The U.S. House is recessed this week.  Below are the Senate activities currently scheduled for the week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources.  Links are provided to the relevant committee Internet pages. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link).  All times are Eastern.

Tuesday

• Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Green Jobs and the New Economy hearing on "Farming, Fishing, Forestry, and Hunting in an Era of Changing Climate," 10:00 AM, room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies markup of fiscal 2015 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies spending bill; 11:00 AM, room 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Thursday

• Senate Full Appropriations Committee markup of the Fiscal 2015 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill; 10:30 AM, room S-127 Capitol Building.