Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -

• Environmental groups expand scope of lawsuit against USEPA re: its approval of new Kentucky water quality standards http://ow.ly/AjFEv
• USEPA pursuing criminal investigation into a chemical spill at a Missouri poultry-processing plant in May http://ow.ly/AjKiD
• “Common Sense Nebraska” coalition protests Obama Administration's proposed rule clarifying Clean Water Act jurisdiction http://ow.ly/A6Gg0
• People line up in Oklahoma on both sides of "Waters of the U.S." proposed rule debate http://ow.ly/AbVU9
• Texas to USEPA: if you promulgate Waters of the United States rule we will have "no choice but to challenge the rule in federal court" article: http://ow.ly/Ah8uW (letter: http://ow.ly/Ah8w9)
• Scientific American: harmful algal blooms are becoming more common, affect all 50 states, and are fed by agriculture http://ow.ly/AbGD7
• Blue-green algae that hit Toledo often found in Wisconsin lakes http://ow.ly/AbSoy; prompted WI DNR warning earlier this summer http://ow.ly/AbSx6
• University of Kentucky media release: "Algal Blooms Pose Danger to Livestock" http://ow.ly/AcZVH
• USGS finds insecticide in Iowa waters; linked to bee declines in other studies http://ow.ly/AeFKh (related USGS July news release here: http://ow.ly/zABOJ)
• 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denies coal mining company request to reconsider Clean Water Act permit shield ruling http://ow.ly/Ah4L9
• 580 gallons of oil spill into Mississippi River Tuesday after two ships and barge collide at port near New Orleans http://ow.ly/AjJPK
• Arkansas Department of Health warns of mercury in Lake Ouachita fish http://ow.ly/AjV2L

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

• Barge shipping traffic resumes as Upper Mississippi River emergency dredging by Army Corps ends http://ow.ly/AcMLW; dredging details: http://ow.ly/AeuJR
• Under terms of a Plaquemines Parish-Army Corps agreement, lower Mississippi River dredge materials can be used for marsh creation http://ow.ly/AcN72
• Groundbreaking held for $260 million hydroelectric plant at Des Moines River dam near Knoxville, Iowa ow.ly/AjIQu (project web site: http://ow.ly/Aesdh)
• Carnegie Energy and Climate Program report: Underestimating Oil and Water Challenges in the Northern Great Plains http://ow.ly/AhaVV
• Johnson County, Iowa officials call for new Coralville Lake Army Corps' management study in wake of another summer of Iowa River flooding http://ow.ly/AjLkG
• Army Corps of Engineers agrees to extend comment period for planned Ohio River fracking waste off-loading barge facility http://ow.ly/AjLHb
• North Dakota becomes sixth state whose residents have joined in a lawsuit against Army Corps of Engineers over Missouri River flood damage http://ow.ly/Ami5I

Agriculture -

• Minnesota potato fields offer look at how the nation's largest grower is rethinking the way it uses
  
  pesticides http://ow.ly/AeDT7
• NY Times: The dirty secret of the food movement is that the much-celebrated small-scale farmer isn't making a living http://ow.ly/Af76o
• Corn-fed ethanol plant in south-central Nebraska, idle since 2012, reopens thanks to improved market http://ow.ly/A6FtT
• Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) thinks we've failed at bridging the gap between production agriculture and consumption http://ow.ly/AenbU
• It's Iowa State Fair week, which means butter sculptures galore! http://ow.ly/Ah6vG http://ow.ly/Ah6z9 http://ow.ly/Ah6Cy (oh . . . and politicians http://ow.ly/Am43Z)
• Farmers await government decisions on new herbicide version and on genetically modified crops designed to resist it http://ow.ly/AhLGd
• Farmland values in Iowa and other parts of the Corn Belt have likely plateaued http://ow.ly/Am3aw

Climate and Weather -

Regional Drought Update: Midwest
(click to enlarge)

• US drought update: new areas of dryness and moderate drought in western Kentucky and northwestern Tennessee; new areas of dryness in central Indiana; Plains drought improved significantly ow.ly/AjMnD
• Dry summer conditions in many parts of Kentucky diminish crop production for some farmers after bumper 2013 yields http://ow.ly/AjLVc
• NPR: Extreme weather patterns in Iowa are making it more difficult to produce corn - farmers learning to adapt http://ow.ly/AjNUJ
• Climate change means that North Dakota conditions are now better for raising corn than wheat; a big benefit for farmers http://ow.ly/AjVrY
• NOAA National Climatic Data Center graph depicting precipitation required to end current drought in one month http://ow.ly/AjI8u
• What is the hottest temperature you've seen this summer? - Over 1,000 farmer respond (map) http://ow.ly/Ah2zI
• Regional Guides Developed for Teaching the 2014 National Climate Assessment http://ow.ly/Am1FS

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth (or "carelessweed") has devastated Southern cotton farms and is poised to wreak havoc in the Midwest http://ow.ly/Ael4d

In the Cities -

• Tulsa's Arkansas River Infrastructure Task Force proposes endowment for Arkansas River dams' maintenance http://ow.ly/AhaFm
• Springfield, Illinois project will capture rainwater runoff and use it elsewhere http://ow.ly/AeEGg

In the States-

• Ohio farm and environmental groups say new state law that will certify fertilizer use doesn’t go far or fast enough http://ow.ly/AjVTW
• Montana completes rulemaking for new nitrogen and phosphorus water quality standards http://ow.ly/Am2Ft

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Gulf coastal oyster harvest has nose-dived since 2010 BP spill http://ow.ly/AeSho
• Treasury Dept to publish rule (August 15) on how Gulf Coast states can spend civil fines from 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill (pre-publication text: http://ow.ly/AjF0E)

Resource Development -

• Stanford University research: Energy companies fracking for oil and gas at far shallower depths than widely believed http://ow.ly/AjGP6
• West Virginia Mine Board holds first public hearing focused on mine located near Kanawha State Forest http://ow.ly/AeF8f

Federal Budget -

• Senate Appropriations Chair plans one last effort to push an omnibus spending bill once Congress returns from recess http://ow.ly/AeLLb

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

• Missouri 340 endurance kayakers and canoeists paddle down Missouri River across the state

  

  Missouri 340 event paddlers on Missouri River

  http://ow.ly/AjJEE
• USDA webinar: Conservation Compliance for Specialty Crop Producers; August 19, 2 PM EDT http://ow.ly/Am1Yl
• Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota ("BALMM") to meet August 20 in Oronoco http://ow.ly/A7hwH
• Wetland Mapping Consortium webinar: Surface Waters and Wetlands Inventory: A More Comprehensive Dataset of the Nation’s Water Resources August 20, 3 PM EDT http://ow.ly/AjDLV
• U.S. EPA informational webinar: recent amendments to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund; August 21 from 2-4 p.m. EDT http://ow.ly/AjGto
• Details on Army Corps listening sessions on Water Resources Reform and Development Act implementation http://ow.ly/Ac9x2 (three yet to be held: August 27, September 10 and 24)
• Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's 2014 Clean Water Summit; September 11; Chaska, MN http://ow.ly/Am1gt
• Mississippi Minute Film Festival solicits 60-second videos of Twin Cities' Mississippi River for October 20 event http://ow.ly/AhbqI
• 2014 Upper Midwest Invasive Species Conference will be held in Duluth, Minnesota on October 20-22 http://ow.ly/AbCDe

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's August 8, Basin Alliance for the Lower Mississippi in Minnesota "Currents" http://ow.ly/A7h0e
• Bi-weekly Green Lands-Blue Waters Update, highlighting Mississippi River Basin continuous living cover on agricultural land http://ow.ly/AbHUH
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's August 12 TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/Af0ve
• Pennsylvania Environmental Council's August 2014 "Forum" e-newsletter http://ow.ly/AjYwt
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council Watershed News for August 14 http://ow.ly/Am2vK

Other news-

• Government Accountability Office report finds fault with EPA’s analyses of the costs and benefits of its regulations http://ow.ly/Aemkf (related article: http://ow.ly/AemrJ)
• Job: WV DEP seeks Environmental Resources Specialist to help coordinate stream and wetland restoration/mitigation http://ow.ly/AetiJ
• U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) is using August recess to tour Wisconsin’s "freshwater coasts" http://ow.ly/Aeu7d
• Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) is using August recess to discuss importance of the Mississippi River and Obama administration's "executive overreach" http://ow.ly/AjKW0
• Bike-trail project to connect Minnesota and Wisconsin http://ow.ly/Aev9a
• Water pays: Fishing license sales set another record in North Dakota following wet year http://ow.ly/Aevzc

Politics and People-

• Journalism, scientific advocacy groups: USEPA is blocking its science advisers from speaking freely to the public, press http://ow.ly/Ah3PZ
• Rep. Scott DesJarlais now up by 37 votes in Tennessee U.S. House GOP primary, but vote likely won't be decided until sometime next week http://ow.ly/AhKtK
• Wisconsin’s 6th District GOP U.S. House primary now "too close to call" http://ow.ly/AjCmu
• Tom Emmer decisively wins GOP primary for Minnesota’s open 6th District; likely to succeed retiring Rep. Michele Bachmann http://ow.ly/Ah7dy
• Complete Wisconsin http://ow.ly/AhIXR and Minnesota http://ow.ly/AhJ3r  primary election results from Tuesday
• Large U.S. cities tend toward the liberal side of political spectrum, even when they’re within conservative states http://ow.ly/AcNEZ
• New, free website includes voting history, campaign finance data, other contact information for members of Congress, staff http://ow.ly/AhlvU
• Americans' dismal evaluations of Congress continue, with 13% approving and 83% disapproving in an August Gallup poll http://ow.ly/AhHd4

Your Moment of Zen -

A herd of bison grazes in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone national park, Wyoming. Photograph: Jim Urquhart/Reuters

Army Corps to Host Four Listening Sessions on Its Implementation of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act

Maxwell Locks and Dam on the Monongahela River

On Wednesday, August 13, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host a call-in and on-line listening session regarding its implementation of the recently-passed Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). Signed into law on June 10, 2014, WRRDA reauthorized and amended the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), and authorizes flood control, navigation, and environmental projects and studies by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The August 13 session (the first of four planned) will address Deauthorizations and Backlog Prevention, and Project Development and Delivery. Here are the detailed agendas for the four listening sessions, which will each cover different WRRDA implementation topics. As detailed in a related July 29, Federal Register notice, the Army Corps intends to provide an opportunity for public comment on the matter during each of the listening sessions, and is also providing an opportunity to submit written comments outside of the sessions. Call-in and Internet log-in information for Wednesday’s session, and each of the subsequent sessions (on August 27, and September 10 and 24), can be found here.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

New USDA Rule and Policy Will Change Conservation Dynamics

A recently-published U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) interim rule and a new USDA policy issued this week change several ground rules for certain USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and Farm Service Agency (FSA) conservation programs. The agency published what it is calling a "minor" interim rule (along with a request for public comment on the rule) in the August 1 edition of the Federal Register. The interim rule became effective on that date, making nondiscretionary changes to several NRCS program regulations that required adjustments in light of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (commonly known as the "farm bill") or otherwise required to implement NRCS administrative "streamlining improvements and clarifications." those changes include "addressing the required review of operating procedures of the State Technical Committee, adding reference of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act program regulations, adding reference of the RCPP to, and expanding the definition of, “acreage owned by Indian Tribes” under the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP), revising and simplifying the Regional Equity provision, and adjusting the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program to correspond with changes to payment provisions under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)." Additionally, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack delegated to NRCS the agency's administrative responsibility to implement the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), as well as several internal NRCS administrative changes. Interested persons may submit comments on the interim rule on or before September 30, 2014. The regulation can be accessed and comments submitted by using this link.

Under the new, August 6, FSA policy, highly erodible acreage will not be eligible for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) early termination, otherwise available for certain CRP contracts during the upcoming 2015 fiscal year (if those contracts have been in effect for at least five years). The policy also states that land within an average of 120 feet of a perennial stream or body of water will also be ineligible to opt out early, as will land enrolled in FSA's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -

• NOAA reports an average but large Gulf of Mexico hypoxic ("dead") zone for July 27-August

  

  (click to enlarge)

  2 http://ow.ly/zXOLr
• Attorneys general from 15 farm, ranching states send letter to USEPA objecting to proposed "Waters of the U.S." rule http://ow.ly/A0QvL
• Farm Bureau launches animated video targeting Obama Administration's proposed "Waters of the U.S." rule http://ow.ly/A0QHs
• Fifteen state attorneys general ask EPA Administrator to withdraw interpretive rule identifying 56 conservation practices exempt from Clean Water Act regulations http://ow.ly/A6oqD
• Commission overseeing Iowa water quality regulations plans to consider adoption of new controversial rule next month http://ow.ly/zUPWk
• Environmental Working Group study: Iowa lost 15 million tons of soil via erosion into waterways http://ow.ly/zY0k9
• Smallmouth bass, white suckers captured in Ohio, Delaware, Susquehanna rivers in Pennsylvania found to be intersex; possible link with pollution; Study: http://ow.ly/zXU8J; news report: http://ow.ly/zXU0V
• Environmental Health Perspectives: Crisis and emergency risk communication: Lessons from the Elk River (WV) spill http://ow.ly/zUPgQ
• Proposed EPA selenium Clean Water Act guidelines generate mining interest positive feedback, environmental opposition http://ow.ly/zW0hp
• Federal judge approves $27.8 million settlement from Tennessee Valley Authority to those harmed by 2008 coal ash spill http://ow.ly/A256E
• Minnesota starts to think about re-using wastewater http://ow.ly/A3KCs
• Fish kill reported on the Salt Fork River for the third straight year (Oklahoma) http://ow.ly/A6sOw

Harmful Algal Blooms

• Mississippi River Collaborative media release: "From Toledo to the Gulf, Water Pollution Threats Increasing" http://ow.ly/zXWdY
• MinnPost "Earth Journal" - Toledo's water pollution crisis shows "we're moving in the wrong direction" http://ow.ly/A4zA9
• Green groups say Toledo water pollution highlights nationwide problems with agricultural runoff, water protection http://ow.ly/zXX51
• Ohio Regulators Aim to Help Water Problem With Fertilizer Licenses http://ow.ly/A0QZq
• Environmentalists and water officials say Des Moines, Iowa could easily find its water tainted as did Toledo, Ohio http://ow.ly/A3O80
• Louisville Water Company: Ohio River flow puts Metro Louisville at lower risk of problems from algal blooms like those found in Toledo http://ow.ly/zY19p
• "Toxic Algae, Drinking Water and Why Madison Won’t Be Toledo" http://ow.ly/zY41u
• Harmful algal blooms have been reported in every US coastal state; their occurrence may be on the rise; NOAA background summary: http://ow.ly/zYcoD
• Environmental Health Perspectives: New Tools for Detecting, Monitoring, and Preventing Harmful Algal Blooms http://ow.ly/zUT2r

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

• Groundbreaking Northwestern U.S. settlement may have implications nationwide for Army
  
  Corps pollutant releases from its dams http://ow.ly/zY21E
• East Bank Levee Authority asks federal judge to find that new Louisiana law doesn't block wetland loss suit against energy companies http://ow.ly/A3NsV
• Army Corps, Plaquemines Parish, La. sign agreement to build wetlands in West Bay http://ow.ly/A3MSQ
• Army Corps of Engineers awards $65.8 million contract for construction of "critical" Plaquemines Parish, La. floodgate http://ow.ly/A6thy
• Draft Army Corps' supplemental environmental assessment for repairs to Council Bend chute, Pottawattamie County, Iowa available for public review http://ow.ly/zY33l
• Draft environmental assessment for modification of 73 Missouri River dike structures available for public review http://ow.ly/A6rzH
• Mississippi River port district in Southwestern Illinois will more than double in size under terms of new state law http://ow.ly/zVFOQ
• Three dredges have been employed to remove sediment, restore barge traffic, in the Upper Mississippi River http://ow.ly/zXZV7
• Barges may sail down Mississippi by this weekend following massive Minnesota silt and sand deposit dredging effort http://ow.ly/A3QyY
• Helping decision makers prioritize where to restore and protect wetlands is the purpose of a new Minnesota online tool http://ow.ly/A27KJ
• U.S. Energy Information Administration releases new tool that maps flooding risks at energy infrastructure sites http://ow.ly/A4Ixu

Agriculture -

• New USDA Conservation Partnership Program receives nearly 600 pre-proposals, with 60 coming from the Mississippi River Basin Critical Conservation Area http://ow.ly/zWbXw (Final proposals requested from about 230 applicants-due by October 2).
• USDA Conservation Interim Rule Open For Comment Through September 30 http://ow.ly/A0ZGQ
• USDA "makes progress" on 2014 Farm Bill implementation: Disaster Relief, Risk Management, Conservation Partnerships, Research Foundation http://ow.ly/A26I5
• Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) wants USDA "to hear directly from farmers about how conservation compliance requirements are burdening them” http://ow.ly/A3Q9L
• USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory now lists 8,268 markets, an increase of 76 percent since 2008 http://ow.ly/zUSew - These Mississippi River Basin states exhibit the biggest increases in the numbers of farmers markets: Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Montana and Nebraska
• USDA Environmental Impact Statement takes herbicide 2,4-D-resistant crops one step closer to deregulation http://ow.ly/A3DOI, even though they could increase problematic weed resistance for farmers http://ow.ly/A3QZD
• 'Superweeds' resistant to herbicides emerge to challenge farmers, with giant ragweeds plaguing Minnesota http://ow.ly/zUSHg
• Fifty Democratic members of Congress ask EPA, USDA not to approve new herbicide and related genetically engineered crops http://ow.ly/zUYbw
• Percentage land value increases between 2013 and 14 are highest in Corn Belt states; figure: http://ow.ly/zV20n and report: http://ow.ly/zV23j
• Farmers will soon be able to get advice about conservation at local elevators through program being piloted in Iowa http://ow.ly/zVIMi
• Missouri voters approve "right to farm" amendment that may limit future environmental regulations aimed at agriculture sector http://ow.ly/A3Buw

Climate and Weather -

• US drought update: impacts from short-term Midwest and Northern Plains dryness slow to emerge; effects of a multi-year drought persist in Southern Plains http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• Statewide average temperature for July was 70.3 degrees in Illinois, tying July 2009 record cool http://ow.ly/zV2ni
• The new "normal?" - For the first time, more than half the world's population was born after 1985, which was the last year the Earth was cooler than average http://ow.ly/A3Sea
• Colorado Climate Prediction: More heat waves, wildfires, drought (18 states receive water originating in Colorado) http://ow.ly/A3SXR
• Pilot-Tribune Special Report: Climate change impacts Northwestern Iowa http://ow.ly/A3Vfz
• NOAA lowers its forecast for the 2014 hurricane season, following the recent lead of other experts http://ow.ly/A6r2k

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Experimental underwater speakers designed to repel Asian carp deployed on Mississippi River near Genoa, Wisconsin http://ow.ly/A454G
• Over 7,000 Asian carp removed from Illinois River during weekend at 9th Annual Redneck Fishing Tournament (Bath, IL) http://ow.ly/zY0GH
• Invasive species observed in Green Lake (zebra mussel) and Games Lake (Eurasian watermilfoil), Kandiyohi County, Minnesota http://ow.ly/zW9wk
• Ad campaign blames "activist lawyers" and "flawed science" for looming greater sage grouse endangered status listing http://ow.ly/zXMHl (also see this E&E article: http://ow.ly/zXNnP)
• Researchers conduct first survey of Minnesota's native bees http://ow.ly/zYbDp

In the Cities -

• The Cost of Stormwater: Why Beckley, WV Sanitary Board customers are charged an additional stormwater fee each month http://ow.ly/zUOXl

Gulf Coastal Region-

• BP asks U.S. Supreme Court to throw out part of settlement of claims for damages from its 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill http://ow.ly/zVGjy
• Gulf spill researcher: Bacteria degraded gaseous hydrocarbons (and maybe BTEX compounds) from BP oil spill, not PAHs http://ow.ly/A0Slj

Forestry -

• U.S. Forest Service will award $1,875,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect 4,800 acres of prime developable Tennessee forest land http://ow.ly/A3E8x

Resource Development -

• Up to 20,000 gallons of fracking-related hydrochloric acid spilled in alfalfa field near Hennessey, Oklahoma http://ow.ly/zV16M

Federal Budget -

• Senate appropriators release draft $30.7 billion fiscal 2015 spending bill to fund Interior Department, EPA, Forest Service http://ow.ly/zUXGZ

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

• "Six splashy ways to have fun at Second Saturday" at Coldwater Spring (Minneapolis) http://ow.ly/A0MQa (that's August 9)
• Mississippi River Commission will conduct annual low-water inspection trip on Mississippi River August 15-22 http://ow.ly/zY2iE (four public meetings)
• NWRI Clarke Prize Conference: Research and Innovations in Urban Water Sustainability;  November 7, Huntington Beach, CA http://ow.ly/A3CNs
• Save the date: Conference on Continuous Living Cover farming; November 19-20, in Decatur, IL (details later here http://ow.ly/A6k01)
• Fall Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee meetings announced http://ow.ly/A6nT3

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• U.S. Geological Survey announces "Climate Matters" semiannual newsletter; to see first issue, visit: http://ow.ly/zV0DI
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's August 5 TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/A0Xjy
• America's Waterway August 2014 "River Currents" e-newsletter http://ow.ly/A266m
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Waterfront Bulletin for August 2014 http://ow.ly/A27aD
• America's WETLAND Foundation July newsletter http://ow.ly/A6n81

Other news-

• Female environmental champions around the world are routinely harassed and threatened for their work http://ow.ly/A4J8o
• Farmland, grasslands and forest are all expected to be converted to urban use as US cities sprawl over the next 50 years http://ow.ly/A4lqw
• Over 5000 yellow rubber duckies raced on Saturday in Brainerd Jaycees Lil' Rubber Duckie Race on Mississippi River http://ow.ly/zVHza
• Minnesota's Great River Greening has land and water, community-based restoration volunteer positions open http://ow.ly/zXLKG

Politics and People-

• Ken Kopocis to replace EPA's acting water chief Nancy Stoner, who will lead Pisces Foundation's new water program http://ow.ly/A6hSu; Lisa Feldt to replace Bob Perciasepe as EPA's acting deputy administrator
• USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan Garcia is retiring after 37 years with USDA http://ow.ly/A6ixW
• Pew Research: Congress continues its streak of passing few significant laws http://ow.ly/zVDbP
• McDaniel challenges Mississippi's US Senate runoff vote results; Experts say that it is very unlikely to succeed http://ow.ly/zXKVR
• Mississippi state Republican Party chairman: McDaniel should move his primary election challenge to courts http://ow.ly/A3Pti
• Incumbent Kansas Republican Senator Pat Roberts takes 48 percent of the vote to win U.S. Senate primary election ow.ly/A0OLY
• Roll Call says that Mississippi Basin Sens. Walsh (MT), Pryor (AR), Landrieu (LA), Udall (CO) and Franken (MN) are on top ten "vulnerable" list http://ow.ly/zXRgR
• Sen. John Walsh (D) announced Thursday that he’s dropping out of the race for his Montana seat http://ow.ly/A6gqZ
• Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS-1) wins narrow victory in hard-fought congressional race against challenger Alan LaPolice http://ow.ly/A11MC
• Incumbent Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) has survived a primary scare from Weston Wamp http://ow.ly/A6g0c
• Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) easily wins Tennessee's Thursday Republican primary http://ow.ly/A6gdF

Your Moment of Zen -

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, as photographed on August 4 by the European spacecraft, Rosetta.
Rosetta entered into orbit around the comet on August 5, following a six billion kilometer, ten-year chase.

What We Learned This Week - "We'll Never Be Royals"

The size of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone this July was average but still quite large.  Residents of Des Moines, Iowa could find their water tainted as did Toledo, Ohioans recently, but people in Madison, Wisconsin, Peoria, Illinois  and Louisville, Kentucky have been told not to worry.   A groundbreaking Northwestern U.S. settlement may have implications nationwide for Army Corps pollutant releases from its dams. The new USDA Conservation Partnership Program received nearly 600 pre-proposals; 60 from the Mississippi River Basin Critical Conservation Area. Voters in Missouri approved a "right to farm" amendment that may limit future environmental regulations potential impacts on its nearly 100,000 farms.  Across the border in Kansas, cattle like to sing along to trombone music.  Neither Missouri nor Kansas are among the states with the biggest increases in the number of farmers markets, but Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Montana and Nebraska are.  Last Friday, 50 members of Congress asked the EPA and USDA not to approve a new, potent herbicide, "Duo," which contains 2,4-D, or to deregulate genetically engineered crops resistant to 2,4-D.   On Wednesday, a USDA Environmental Impact Statement took those herbicide-resistant crops a step closer to deregulation.  Duo is meant to kill "superweeds," such as the giant ragweeds that are plaguing Minnesota; the result of the widespread use of another potent weed-killer: Roundup.  Congress maintained the "status quo" this past year, continuing a recent practice of passing few laws of significance.  That is perhaps why, for the first time, a majority of U.S. adults disapproved of the job their own member of Congress is doing.  Sen. John Walsh of Montana won't be one of those members come January; he's bowed out of his Senate race.  There was a shuffling of acting senior executive positions at the USEPA, while another senior executive will soon exit from the USDA.  Experimental underwater speakers designed to repel Asian carp were deployed on the Mississippi River near Genoa, Wisconsin, but it's likely too late. Also a bit late, over 7,000 Asian carp were removed from the Illinois River during a "Redneck Fishing Tournament."  5,000 yellow rubber duckies raced down the Mississippi River on Saturday.  For the first time, more than half the world's population was born after 1985: the last year that the Earth was cooler than average.  And last but not least, everyone’s favorite government-sponsored bear, Smokey, turns 70 years old this weekend.

USDA Conservation Interim Rule Open For Comment Through September 30

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) published what it is calling a "minor" interim rule (along with a request for public comment on the rule) in the August 1 edition of the Federal Register.  The interim rule became effective on that date, making nondiscretionary changes to several NRCS program regulations that required adjustments in light of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (commonly known as the "farm bill") or otherwise required to implement NRCS administrative "streamlining improvements and clarifications."

According to an NRCS summary, those changes include "addressing the required review of operating procedures of the State Technical Committee, adding reference of the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act program regulations, adding reference of the RCPP to, and expanding the definition of, “acreage owned by Indian Tribes” under the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP), revising and simplifying the Regional Equity provision, and adjusting the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program to correspond with changes to payment provisions under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)."  Additionally, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack delegated to NRCS the agency's administrative responsibility to implement the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP), as well as several internal NRCS administrative changes.

Interested persons may submit comments on the interim rule on or before September 30, 2014. The regulation can be accessed and comments submitted by using this link.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Hello From New Orleans . . .

Downtown New Orleans

. . . and the 2014 Conference on Ecological and Ecosystem Restoration ("CEER 2014").  The week-long conference has highlighted many Mississippi River Basin and Louisiana Gulf Coast studies and restoration efforts (there were 146 citations for the "Mississippi River," 21 for the "Louisiana coast," and 71 for the "Gulf of Mexico" in the conference abstract compilation). Tuesday's opening plenary session for the conference featured Louisiana coast- and River-centered remarks (transcribed here) by R. King Milling, CEER 2014 Honorary Chair, and Chair of Louisiana Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration and Conservation.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• USGS study finds significant levels of neonicotinoid pesticides in Midwestern streams http://ow.ly/zABOJ
• House votes 267-161 to strip U.S. EPA's ability to require permits for growers who spray pesticides over water ow.ly/zNXXf
• EPA says the GOP is making it "very difficult" for it to do its job of regulating carbon, small bodies of water http://j.mp/1pGzmpI

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

• Army Corps of Engineers will hold series of public listening sessions over next two months about WRRDA implementation http://ow.ly/zIwaD
• Army Corps continues Upper Mississippi River dredging to reopen river to commercial navigation following recent high water http://ow.ly/zKcXt
• Court rejects challenge to Army Corps wetland determination at Louisiana landfill site ow.ly/zNYxs
• For the first time in three years, the Platte River is still flowing south of Columbus, Nebraska into late July http://ow.ly/zEN8L
• USGS analysis: Streamflows in eastern portions of the Missouri River watershed increased over past 52 years http://ow.ly/zHgDu, but decreased in the western part of the basin http://ow.ly/zKdem
• Water conservation views in Kansas often depend on where people live http://ow.ly/zMUyV (part of a special Salina Journal series on water: http://ow.ly/zMUCW)
• New, Army Corps-constructed Illinois River island to be dedicated on Friday http://ow.ly/zHgVR
• Wetlands growth in Wax Lake, Louisiana shows what Mississippi Rver diversions could achieve, scientists say http://ow.ly/zKobV

Agriculture -

• USDA published changes to conservation programs as an interim rule in Friday's Federal Register (rule effective Friday) http://ow.ly/zPfGM  Comments accepted for 60 days.
• Senate Agriculture Committee Chair urges EPA, USDA, Army Corps to provide farmers/ ranchers with regulatory certainty http://ow.ly/zPpiA
• Pickaway County, Ohio farmland will revert to the wild as newly christened Bartley Preserve http://ow.ly/zEOUk
• The last 25.5 acres of Minnetonka, Minnesota farmland sold to a housing developer for $6.22 million http://ow.ly/zMOYU
• USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service releases 2012 Census of Agriculture Congressional District Profiles for 113th Congress http://ow.ly/zHbQC

Climate and Weather -

• US drought update: pockets of abnormal dryness have begun to develop in a few areas of the Corn Belt http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• Most of the Corn-belt had below average rainfall in July http://ow.ly/zPp3k
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center monthly drought outlook for August: mixed improvement and persistence in River Basin http://ow.ly/zOpEP 
• Climate Change May Reduce Corn, Wheat Crop Yields http://ow.ly/zEACV
• Australia's meteorology bureau cuts the odds of an El Nino event to 50 percent http://ow.ly/zHc6t
• White House releases a report that says inaction on climate change could cost $150 billion http://ow.ly/zK2SG
• NOAA Climate Program Office has released information on its annual Federal Funding Opportunity for FY15 http://ow.ly/zMOkD

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Science journal studies: Earth is in the midst of its sixth "mass extinction"

  

  Threatened species hot-spot map (click to enlarge)

  http://ow.ly/zACcr and http://ow.ly/zACfk
• Federal, state agencies find no live Asian carp in Ohio River basin streams following last year's positive e-DNA evidence http://ow.ly/zEOdn
• White House says it will veto http://j.mp/WM43Dh bill passed by House on Tuesday, saying it would roll back endangered species protection (bill here: http://ow.ly/zK6Fi -also see this article on the bill's passage: http://ow.ly/zKaMO)
• Senate bill would remove lesser prairie chicken from Endangered Species Act list of threatened species until 2020 http://ow.ly/zMPAD
• New Senate bill would require FWS to take into account the economic impact of proposed critical habitat designations http://ow.ly/zPpwv
• Fish and Wildlife Service agrees to study the effects of five common pesticides on endangered species nationwide http://ow.ly/zK9QV
• Helping pollinators survive: A landowner’s guide to pollinator-friendly practices ow.ly/zOors
• "Leaping out of the lakes: Invasive mussels spread across America" http://ow.ly/zMQsH
• La Crosse, Wisconsin's “bug derecho” signals a cleaner Mississippi River environment http://ow.ly/zMR1e

In the Cities -

• Highest average US wages, worst housing shortage: Williston, North Dakota, thanks to the

  

  Springfield, Missouri

  fracking oil boom http://ow.ly/zES51 (near the confluence of the Yellowstone River and the Missouri River)
• Kansas City Groups to Receive $119,940 from EPA’s Urban Waters Small Grants Program for Focus on Middle Blue River http://ow.ly/zMRRQ
• Springfield Missouri’s decorative storm drains and manhole covers highlight infrastructure, help satisfy MS4 permit requirements http://ow.ly/zMT6d
• St. Joseph, Missouri focusing on building more green infrastructure within the city to manage stormwater http://ow.ly/zMTAg
• After a dozen years on the state’s Impaired waters list, Wirth Lake (Minneapolis Metro area) has finally been removed http://ow.ly/zN8gX

Gulf Coastal Region-

• NOAA: Flooding frequency increasing along much of U.S. coast; rate of increase accelerating along Gulf of Mexico http://ow.ly/zFtiY
• Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council progresses in finalizing processes for implementing large-scale restoration projects http://ow.ly/zHgfU

Forestry -

• Real-time data provided by satellites could revolutionize forestry, agriculture and our understanding of land use change http://ow.ly/zExvg

Resource Development -

• Tainted Legacy: Louisiana's Legislature has created obstacles to legacy oil and gas cleanups http://ow.ly/zN7IP
• Minnesota crossed by 50 oil trains a week, each loaded with more than 1 million gallons of North Dakota crude oil http://ow.ly/zEx4v
• WV Surface Mining Board rejects bid to halt mountaintop removal mining near Kanawha State Forest  http://ow.ly/zERsd

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

• The Mississippi River will close from 12:30 to 3 PM Aug. 9 for the 28th annual tug of war between Port Byron, Ill., and LeClaire, Iowa http://ow.ly/zKbHN (H/T @1 Mississippi)
• Mississippi River Naturefest (Labor Day Weekend, August 29-31); Tara Wildlife Preserve, Eagle Lake, Mississippi http://ow.ly/zI1cu
• 5th annual One Water Leadership Summit, September 15-17, Kansas, City, MO http://ow.ly/zMRuQ
• 2014 America’s Watershed Initiative Summit: "to improve governance of the Mississippi Watershed," Louisville, KY, September 30-October 2 http://ow.ly/zAGGR

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Strengthening the Social Impacts of Sustainable Landscapes Programs: A Guide for Practitioners http://ow.ly/zFF1u
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's River Connections for July 2014 http://ow.ly/zFdwx
• July 29 Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/zK9oD
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council July 31 Watershed News ow.ly/zOoRT

Other news-

• Public input sought on new Minnesota Great River Road Corridor Management Plan http://ow.ly/zHfYj
• Rep. Sam Graves' (R-Mo.-6) bill would shift money from Land and Water Conservation Fund to pay for federal lands maintenance http://ow.ly/zN3Lu
• GOA says the EPA should do more to protect public and environment from fluids used/disposed in hydraulic fracturing http://j.mp/Xbu52D (Report here: http://ow.ly/zK7yi)
• As the U.S. destroys its old dams, preliminary data suggests species are streaming back into the unfettered rivers ow.ly/zN658

Politics and People-

• Small minority who fund American politics are much more politically polarized than vast majority of non-contributors http://ow.ly/zKoXV
• New study finds lack of minority representation in environmental groups. http://ow.ly/zHZNR
• Darth Vader is more popular than any potential 2016 US presidential candidate; Jar Jar Binks is more popular than Congress http://ow.ly/zEz68

Your Moment of Zen -

Polar bear 'Yuki' is given ice cubes to cool down as the summer heat continues at Tokuyama Zoo in Yamaguchi, Japan. Photograph: The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images

What We Learned This Week - "Strong is Vader"

U.S. Geological Survey researchers have documented significant levels of neonicotinoid pesticides in Midwestern streams.  The Earth is in the midst of its sixth mass extinction event, and this one is on us.  Streamflows in eastern portions of the Missouri River watershed increased over the past 52 years, but they decreased in the western part of the basin. A bill that would block the EPA from requiring water quality permits for farmers spraying pesticides was passed by the House.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture published an interim rule (effective on the Friday date of publication) that makes "minor" changes to conservation programs.  EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe is trying to "build a bridge" over the regulatory divide with Republicans, but says they're making EPA's job hard.  Darth Vader is more popular than any of the potential 2016 U.S. presidential candidates, and the despised Jar Jar Binks is more popular than Congress. The frequency of coastal flooding is increasing in much of U.S., particularly along the Gulf of Mexico coastline.  A new University of Michigan study finds that there is a lack of minority representation in environmental groups.  There is no more farmland in Minnetonka, Minnesota; the last 25.5 acres were just sold to a housing developer for $6.22 million.  And last but not least, groups gave free ice cream away outside of the Washington, DC Environmental Protection Agency offices to raise awareness about climate change on Tuesday - one of the coolest days of the summer there.