Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

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

Two Groups, Two Meetings, One Future

This week two groups working toward realizing a more sustainable Mississippi River met over three days in two different River Basin cities to discuss their respective visions for the River region and its people.  The Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, a group of 68 mayors from towns along the River's length, held its annual organizational meeting in Dubuque, Iowa.  Seventy-five miles to the northeast, representatives of the Mississippi River Collaborative along with supporting national partners, gathered in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Initiative mayors discussed their priorities and agenda for the upcoming year - focused in part on addressing the impacts of nutrient-laden runoff on River and Gulf of Mexico water quality. The mayors acknowledge that nutrient loading to the Mississippi River - nitrogen and phosphorus; primarily from agricultural operations - has degraded local and Gulf coastal waters, and believe that the greatest opportunities for success in reducing those impacts lie in forging solutions in cooperation with the farming sector.  The mayors also elected Chris Coleman, mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota, and Hyram Copeland, mayor of Vidalia, Louisiana, to co-chair the group over the next year.

The Collaborative met to review its recent progress and to plan future initiatives designed to advance Mississippi River water quality improvements, and wetland restoration and protection. Funded by the McKnight Foundation, the Collaborative's goals in the ten-state Mississippi River corridor are to leverage its members' respective capabilities to restore the water quality and resilience of the Mississippi River, restore and protect floodplains and wetlands, achieve cross-boundary and interagency coordination among government agencies, and reduce agricultural pollution (particularly within the northern River region).

Water, nutrients, restoration, sustainability, agriculture, people, health.  The issues coincide.  The visions overlap.  A common future seems assured.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

Waters of the United States Rule

• States appeal Judge Lisa Wood's August WOTUS decision; suit now goes to U.S. Court of
  
  Appeals for the 11th Circuit http://ow.ly/S61be
• States continue legal push before two federal appeals courts to block WOTUS rule implementation http://ow.ly/S6hrd
• EPA and farmers continue to spar on Clean Water rule http://ow.ly/SciXi
• Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Jason Weller downplays NRCS involvement with new clean water rule http://ow.ly/ShgFU
• 47 senators file resolution to kill the Obama administration's controversial clean water rule using the Congressional Review Act http://ow.ly/SnAYF (CRA allows measures to pass on only a simple majority vote-see this GAO web page for more information)

Other Water Quality News

• Iowa Environmental Council op-ed (Des Moines Register): "Time to act on Iowans’ water quality concerns" http://ow.ly/SlNhH
• Opposing sides sound off at Pittsburgh hearing on new federal stream protection rule http://ow.ly/S6fsx
• Ohio coal executive: new Interior Department stream protection rule is "the single greatest threat" to the industry http://ow.ly/SbKpm
• Illinois coal miners fret over new round of federal regulations (Interior Department stream protection rule) http://ow.ly/SbMaT
• New Online USGS Pesticide Mapper—Predicting Pesticides in Streams and Rivers: Where is

  

  Source: USGS

  Water-Quality at Risk? http://ow.ly/SkkzS
• EPA's Office of Inspector General: scant evidence that costly sewer upgrades required by combined sewer overflow consent decrees are improving water quality http://ow.ly/SlLh8
• The Atlantic: Some of today’s sewers were built before bathrooms as we know them existed. It’s time to upgrade http://ow.ly/So94m
• Long way to go on cleaning Minnesota lakes, rivers and streams http://ow.ly/SbYAI
• EQB approves 2015 Water Policy Report that proposes solutions to Minnesota's pressing water challenges http://ow.ly/Sofgc
• Troubled waters: Is Minnesota at a turning point for water quality? http://ow.ly/Scgbm
• Minnesota stream buffer provision draws over 200 people to Kandiyohi County informational meeting http://ow.ly/ScgOG
• Allegheny River water quality holds steady despite Marcellus shale drilling waste water and other river contamination http://ow.ly/Scc5I
• EPA Report: "Managing Water Quality in the Face of Uncertainty" - a "Robust Decision Making Demonstration for EPA's National Water Program" http://ow.ly/Scksh
• Murray Energy agrees to pay Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission $2.5 million to settle damages related to massive 2009 Dunkard Creek fish kill (Ohio River Basin) http://ow.ly/Sedex
• Illinois EPA refers Vermilion County cattle farm operator to Attorney General for enforcement (water pollution) http://ow.ly/SkgXk
• U.S. EPA agrees to timeline for updating stormwater regulations under terms of settlement with environmental groups http://ow.ly/SkhIk
• USDA and USEPA announce new water quality trading resources http://ow.ly/SlS2y

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

• Will a controversial plan restore Illinois wetlands or ruin them (re: Emiquon Preserve)? http://ow.ly/SehI9
• Land parcels in Minnesota, Wisconsin added to St. Croix River wild and scenic river conservation efforts http://ow.ly/Scgzo
• Record amount of sediment dredged from Lower Mississippi River, helping restore marshland http://ow.ly/Scian
• Army Corps plans to prepare Integrated Draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement to investigate hydrologic and hydraulic problems threatening navigation, aquatic ecosystem habitat, recreation, flood damage reduction and existing infrastructure at the Three Rivers Study Site (Arkansas River Basin, Southeastern Arkansas) http://ow.ly/SclkY
• Agencies announce availability of draft National Wetland Plant List 2015 and web site to solicit public comments http://ow.ly/SclXi
• Kansas State University to create 'Living Laboratories' for green infrastructure stormwater and training project http://ow.ly/Sh8vl
• Study: Water demand from fracking less than 1 percent of US total industrial water use http://ow.ly/Sht3D

Agriculture -

• House and Senate appropriators asked to restore farm conservation program budget cuts http://ow.ly/Sodzf and http://ow.ly/SoeOx (letter here: http://ow.ly/SoeYg)
• USDA awards $20.5 Million in Conservation Innovation Grants to advance "next generation of natural resources conservation" http://ow.ly/Shf6s
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement disagree on the extent of the state's manure management progress http://ow.ly/Seet2
• Dwindling U.S. bat population could be devastating for crops and farmers; story: http://ow.ly/SeruM (PNAS article: http://ow.ly/SerXQ)
• Des Moines Register: Wall Street investors are gobbling up farm land http://dmreg.co/1KOBzjo

Climate and Weather -

• This summer was the hottest on record and 2015 is likely to win the same title when the year is over http://ow.ly/SodVT
• NOAA weekly drought report: dryness expanded in northwest Kansas; drought active in southern Arkansas, northern Louisiana, western Mississippi http://ow.ly/So4PT
• New Orleans sees limits to climate adaptation efforts as sea level rises http://ow.ly/S65VK
• Human-induced global warming is set to produce exceptionally high average temperatures this year and next http://ow.ly/Sc3BL
• Rural Nebraska poll shows changing attitudes on climate change http://ow.ly/SevuB

Photo: Dick Schoenberger for MPR

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• State's loon population gets a helping hand in southern Minnesota  http://ow.ly/Scace
• USDA: U.S. EPA's proposal to protect bees from pesticide exposure in farm fields is unrealistically restrictive; news article: http://ow.ly/ScxLi and USDA letter: http://ow.ly/Sceft
• Minnesota DNR chief: No guarantees for Mille Lacs winter walleye season http://ow.ly/ScjkY
• White Fringeless Orchid - found in wet soils of bogs, marshes, fens and swamps - proposed for Endangered Species Act protection in five states, including Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky http://ow.ly/Sel5C (Federal Register notice: http://ow.ly/SeKqe)
• Interior secretary hopes sage grouse won’t need federal protection http://ow.ly/Shalq
• Fish and Wildlife Service to further review the need for protection of 23 species under the Endangered Species Act (links to list of species and petitions here: http://ow.ly/Socy6)

In the Cities -

• Sixty-eight mayors from 10 states are meeting in Dubuque this week at Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative meeting http://ow.ly/Sh85h
• Mississippi River mayors home in on water quality, climate to protect economies http://ow.ly/Skiqc
• The Atlantic: Why Doesn’t New Orleans Look More Like Amsterdam? http://ow.ly/SciuQ
• PRI Living on Earth: New Orleans is still vulnerable to another big storm http://ow.ly/SecxB
• Wichita, Kansas will soon see 93 acres of urban wetlands become public park land with stormwater management elements http://ow.ly/Sh7KJ
• Missouri Botanical Garden Rainscaping Guide highlights BiodiverseCity St. Louis community initiative http://ow.ly/Sh8Pi
• Bakken oil boom turned into a money loser for most cities and counties in the North Dakota and Montana prairie region http://ow.ly/S5WR8
• Internet of things helping U.S. cities manage water resources http://ow.ly/Sklo5

In the States-

• Pennsylvania Senate Republicans proceeding this week with their plans to develop possible stopgap budget http://ow.ly/Sheyl
• Pennsylvania Republican stopgap state budget package moves forward in the face of a Gov. Wolf veto threat http://ow.ly/SlKnd
• Final version of Wisconsin's "Wetland Screening and Delineation Procedures" is now available http://ow.ly/SlKOD

Gulf Coastal Region-

• $52 million in restoration, river projects to be discussed this week at Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council meetings http://ow.ly/Sh74J
• Move mouth of Mississippi River, abandon communities part of experts’ new, startling recommendations for Louisiana’s future http://ow.ly/Skg6w

Resource Development -

• Local antifracking movement may stifle new drilling in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania http://ow.ly/SeUhO
• Ohio and Pennsylvania try to block court approval of Patriot Coal's reorganization plan over cleanup concerns http://ow.ly/S6ibZ
• Iowa regulators will hold hearings in November on allowing eminent domain for the Bakken Pipeline project http://ow.ly/SkYnN
• Assessed value of West Virginia's coal reserves and mining infrastructure has fallen more than $1 billion since 2013 http://ow.ly/SeUDS
• New report finds federal subsidies for Powder River Basin coal amount to $8 per ton http://ow.ly/Skmra
• Minnesota appeals court: environmental impact statement must be completed for controversial Sandpiper oil pipeline before it can be approved http://ow.ly/Se8Mh
• Minnesota Appeals Court sides with "essentially all" of the arguments environmental groups made in halting the Sandpiper project while an environmental review is done http://ow.ly/Shxtc
• A Texas company is idling its frac sand operation in Marshfield, Wisconsin due to plunging oil prices http://ow.ly/Seyme

Federal Budget (You can follow the status of all of the fiscal year 2016 appropriation bills on this Congress.gov web page)

• Federal shutdown news: there's no Congressional plan-the only thing clear two weeks from the deadline is it will go down to the wire http://ow.ly/SnOOp
• Mega fiscal cliff looms as debt ceiling, and government and transportation spending all converge over next three months http://ow.ly/Sknkr
• House leaders expect the Senate will wait until House passes a continuing resolution before scheduling a Senate vote http://ow.ly/ShglT
• Prospect of a second government shutdown in two years is growing as House conservatives fight Planned Parenthood funding http://ow.ly/SchrE

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

• Webinar: Environmental Restoration Projects that Support Stormwater Management  September 22, 2-3:15 pm ET http://ow.ly/Sh9wB
• Wisconsin Natural Resources Board to discuss changes to safe drinking water rules, walleye management, and Fish, Wildlife, and Habitat Management Plan and Wildlife Action Plan at September 23 meeting in Bowler http://ow.ly/ShdiD
• Informational Webinars for EPA Water Quality Standards Regulatory Revisions Final Rule; September 28 and 30, 1 PM ET http://ow.ly/SlMpq
• Public meetings of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Assumable Waters Subcommittee re: Clean Water Act permit program for the discharge of dredge and fill materials; Washington, DC area; October 6-7 and December 1-2 http://ow.ly/SeIDB
• 17th Annual EPA Region 6 Stormwater Conference; Hot Springs, AR, October 18-22 http://ow.ly/Sh95X
• 3rd North America Congress for Conservation Biology, July 17-20, 2016 in Madison, Wisconsin http://ow.ly/SkqPk

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch; No. 305, September 14; Missing: 120,000 gallons of Clarified Slurry Oil in Mississippi River near Columbus, KY http://ow.ly/SbZkq
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Waterfront Bulletin for September 2015 http://ow.ly/ScfUZ
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy, September 15 TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/SkwE8

Other news-

• Expert witness criticism at Senate hearing surprises sponsors of bipartisan regulatory reform bills http://ow.ly/SkoDk (hearing web page http://ow.ly/Skqtj)
• GAO to Congress: federal agencies failing to track risks posed by thousands of abandoned mines they oversee http://ow.ly/S6hRN
• WV PR: Farming could offer jobs for struggling families in West Virginia's coalfields, but it won't be easy http://ow.ly/SbLeE
• Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources seeks applicants for an assistant professor of ecological/resource/environmental economics http://ow.ly/Sc2Dz
• Interior Secretary urges Congressional reauthorization of Land and Water Conservation Fund http://ow.ly/ShdMG
• Washington Post: Congress is about to let the Land and Water Conservation Fund lapse. Here’s why you should care. http://ow.ly/SlPKQ
• 57 senators urge leaders to pass a short-term extension of the Land and Water Conservation Fund before the end of September http://ow.ly/SnBog
• New map highlights national parks preserved using Land and Water Conservation Fund and those at risk if Fund lapses http://ow.ly/SlLNv

Politics and People-

• Braddock, Pennsylvania Mayor John Fetterman announces candidacy for U.S.  Democratic Senate nomination http://ow.ly/ShefY
• All of the candidates for Kentucky governor blast EPA and back state environmental funding cuts http://ow.ly/SkjCL
• Washington Post-ABC News poll: 72% of Americans believe politicians cannot be trusted; 64% think political system is dysfunctional http://ow.ly/Sc4Xs
• Fort Wayne Journal Gazette editorial: "Hoosiers who believe climate change is imperiling lives, health and economic well-being are at a disadvantage" under Gov. Mike Pence administration http://ow.ly/SeBmE
• Partnership for Public Service study blasts Congressional dysfunction and partisanship for disrupting federal agencies' operations http://ow.ly/SkodK (PDF file)

Your Moment of Zen - 

From: The Atlas of True Names by Kalimedia

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For - UPDATED

Below are the U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for this week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources. Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages and appropriate pieces of legislation. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these may be, as well (follow the respective meeting or hearing link).  All times are Eastern. This information will be updated as warranted.

Tuesday

• House Natural Resources Committee field hearing on "the Impacts of Federal Policies on Energy Production and Economic Growth in the Gulf;" 10:00 AM ET (9:00 AM CT); Louisiana Supreme Court, 400 Royal Street, New Orleans.
• House Agriculture Committee hearing "to review USDA organization and program administration," 1:30 PM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building (Part I - to be continued on Wednesday at 10:00 AM).

Wednesday

• House Agriculture Committee hearing "to review USDA organization and program administration," 10:00 AM, room 1300 Longworth House Office Building (Part II - continued from Tuesday hearing).
• NEW - Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to consider several pieces of regulatory reform legislation, including S. 1817, the "Smarter Regulations Through Advance Planning and Review Act;" S. 1820, the "Early Participation in Regulations Act;" S. 1818, the "Principled Rulemaking Act;" S. 1607, the "Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act;" and S. 708 the "Regulatory Improvement Act;" 10:00 AM, room 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Thursday

• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on reauthorization of and potential reforms to the Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act (The Act applies to Federal recreation lands under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Bureau of Land Management;  Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Forest Service.); 10:00 AM, room 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Friday

• House Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology and Subcommittee on Oversight hearing entitled "NEON Warning Signs: Examining the Management of the National Ecological Observatory Network" (the National Ecological Observatory Network is a continental-scale observation system for examining ecological change over time); 9:00 AM, room 2318 Rayburn House Office Building.
• Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety, and Security field hearing entitled “Pipeline Safety: State and Local Perspectives;" noon ET/10:00 AM MT; Montana State University, Billings Library, Room 148, Billings Montana.

What We Learned This Week - "Walleye World"

Attorneys General from Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana sought an injunction to block implementation of Obama Administration Clean Water (WOTUS) Rule in those states. Rep. Paul Gosar sought to impeach U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy over WOTUS statements made to Congress. The Obama Administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to decide an Army Corps of Engineers, Clean Water Act jurisdictional determination case. Walleye are Minnesota's "holy grail of fish," but with walleye in decline, the Minnesota DNR has become the political prey. A bill that would block implementation of the Department of Interior's proposed stream protection rule passed out of a House committee. The EPA plans to set the first federal limits on toxic metals (mostly from coal ash) in power plant wastewater discharges; though the rule's potential reach is seen as limited. States often fail to penalize companies for oil development industry wastewater spills. Increasing nitrate levels in Minnesota drinking water are a costly challenge for homeowners. The Fish and Wildlife Service settled with the Center for Biological Diversity; agreeing on deadlines for determining whether ten snail, insect, bird, mussel and fish species warrant federal protections (including aquatic species in several Mississippi River Basin states). A federal appeals court panel ruled that the U.S. EPA erred in allowing the use of an insecticide linked to pollinator decline. And last but not least, it's official - marijuana is not considered to be a part of Missouri's agriculture.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

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

This Week . . .

The Waters of the United States (also known as the "Clean Water") rule continued to make headlines this past week. On Tuesday (September 8) the Attorneys General for Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana filed paperwork with the United States District Court for the Southern District Of Texas seeking a preliminary injunction to block implementation of the rule in those states. The states contended in their brief that the arguments made by Judge Ralph Erikson of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota (in his August 27 ruling blocking the rule from taking effect in 13 states) applies to them, as well.

In a related matter (also on Tuesday), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the Court to decide whether a jurisdictional determination made by the Army Corps under the Clean Water Act constitutes a final agency action, and can thus be challenged in court. Specifically, the Corps is seeking a review of an April 2015 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit that a Minnesota peat mine property owner could challenge in federal court a finding by the Army Corps that a waterway was subject to federal permitting.

Previously, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a related case, finding that the Army Corps "jurisdictional determination" is not a final action subject to judicial review. However, subsequently, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that an Army Corps jurisdictional determination may be a final action, subject to judicial review. If the administration is not successful in its appeal of that 8th Circuit decision (in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers v. Hawkes Co., Inc., et al.), it would create a split in opinions by lower courts and could open the door for landowners to seek judicial review of findings by the government that a waterbody is subject to federal permitting. While the Hawkes suit was brought under the old jurisdiction rule, any Supreme Court decision would apply to jurisdictional decisions made under the new Waters of the United States rule, as well.

. . . and Next
Several Congressional hearings are already scheduled for next week that relate to the River Basin and

Gulf Coast's water resources. The House Agriculture Committee will be evaluating Farm Bill programs over two days of hearings, and a field hearing in New Orleans, Louisiana will take up the topic of "Impacts of Federal Policies on Energy Production and Economic Growth in the Gulf."  Almost certainly, the need for a Continuing Resolution to fund the Federal government beginning on October 1 will  be considered by Congress next week, as well, given that the House will have only six working days left starting next Tuesday before the current fiscal year ends.  Absent the Continuing Resolution, the government faces the perennial  specter of a midnight shutdown on September 30. You can find the latest listing of these and any newly-scheduled River-relevant Congressional activities here, updated throughout the upcoming week "on-the-fly."

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

Waters of the United States Rule

• Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana Attorneys General seek injunction to block implementation of Obama Administration Clean Water (WOTUS) Rule in those states http://bit.ly/1K7aUvZ
• North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Ralph Erickson rules that there are “significant prudential reasons to limit the scope” of water rule injunction to 13 states http://ow.ly/RVE2o
• Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) seeks to impeach U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy over WOTUS statements made to Congress http://ow.ly/S1MWw
• Obama Administration asks Supreme Court to decide Army Corps Clean Water Act jurisdictional determination case http://ow.ly/S2DQu  (link to petition: http://ow.ly/S2D9L)

Other Water Quality News

• H.R. 1644, “STREAM Act," that would block implementation of the Department of Interior's proposed stream protection rule, passes out of House Natural Resources Committee by a vote of 23-12 http://ow.ly/S39pC
• EPA plans to set the first federal limits on toxic metals (mostly from coal ash) in power plant wastewater discharges http://ow.ly/RVgok (see related story below)
• As EPA prepares to release a new rule governing coal ash (applying to wastewater), the rule's potential reach is seen as limited http://ow.ly/S2mKU
• States rarely punish companies for oil development industry wastewater spills http://ow.ly/RVvZe
• 17-mile stretch of Mississippi River near Paducah, Kentucky fully reopens as Coast Guard continues to respond to oil spill http://ow.ly/RYpGa
• Increasing nitrate levels in Minnesota drinking water are a costly challenge for homeowners http://ow.ly/RZ44C
• Interior Department Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement extends proposed stream protection rule comment period until October 26 http://ow.ly/S1Sl1

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

• Ohio FreshWater Accountability Project to appeal U.S. District Court ruling in Army Corps Freedom of Information Act case http://ow.ly/S1QjI

Agriculture -

• National Corn Growers Association President's main request for lawmakers: Leave the farm bill nutrition title where it is http://ow.ly/S2B6M
• Petition period opens for 2016 Wisconsin Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Enterprise Areas http://ow.ly/RYqUS
• USDA Agricultural Research Service: researching the use of gypsum to help reduce phosphorus runoff http://ow.ly/S51Ax

Source: NOAA (click to enlarge)

Climate and Weather -

• US drought update: abnormally dry swath develops in Central Plains; dryness eases in Minnesota and Wisconsin but expands in Mississippi and Louisiana http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• Climate change continues delivering warmer temperatures and heavier rains to Minnesota lakes and their inhabitants http://ow.ly/S4XQW

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Fish and Wildlife Service settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity sets deadlines for deciding if 10 snails, insects, birds, mussels and fish warrant federal protection, including aquatic species in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia http://ow.ly/S1LXY (Press release: http://ow.ly/S1Mjs)
• Invasive spiny waterflea drives troubling trend in Minnesota lakes for native zooplankton and
  
  fish http://ow.ly/RYtqM
• Minnesota updates its list of lakes and rivers infested with aquatic invasive species http://ow.ly/S1UKO
• Excavation begins at Eagle Marsh, Indiana for a berm reconstruction project designed to halt the spread of aquatic invasive species between Mississippi and Great Lakes basins http://ow.ly/RWgkg
• Three-judge federal appeals court panel finds that U.S. EPA erred in allowing use of insecticide linked to pollinator decline http://ow.ly/S39Xk
• White House OMB reviewing rule that would expand definition of what activities constitute "destruction or adverse modification" of critical habitat http://ow.ly/RNOlv (news story: http://ow.ly/RNOI9)
• Frogs in suburban lakes are mostly female, raising questions of whether endocrine-disrupting chemicals are to blame http://ow.ly/S1Tpz
• Why walleye is Minnesota's 'holy grail of fish' http://ow.ly/RVsw1
• Minnesota Governor Dayton will insist that the Department of Natural Resources allow ice fishing on Lake Mille Lacs http://ow.ly/S4V7u
• Fish and Wildlife Service announces availability of final recovery plan for endangered dusky gopher frog (Mississippi) http://ow.ly/RYwVz (FWS species profile http://ow.ly/RYxfP)

In the Cities -

• Researchers evaluate Indianapolis-based effort to reconnect people to waterways through invasive species management http://ow.ly/S1IG7 (paper: http://ow.ly/S1IRI)
• In thriving Nashville, a very negative race for Mayor http://ow.ly/S34G0 (see related story, below, under "Politics and People")

In the States-

• With walleye in decline, the Minnesota DNR becomes the prey http://ow.ly/S1Pf5
• No breakthroughs in quiet talks mean it's on to a stopgap Pennsylvania state budget http://ow.ly/RVCBX
• Ramifications of budget indecision in Illinois highlighted in message from Moody's Investor Services http://ow.ly/S4YBW
• North Dakota lawmakers hear about the ongoing concerns in the oil patch, particularly related to roads, bridges, water, sewer and social needs http://ow.ly/RNcmb

Photo: Louisiana State U School of Architecture

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Rising sea levels make access to Louisiana's Highway 1 increasingly difficult http://ow.ly/RZ8Ep

Resource Development -

• Dane County, Wisconsin backs off attempt to require Enbridge to set up a cleanup fund in case of a pipeline spill http://ow.ly/S2sNR
• Oil-waste disposal regulations that seem to have limited earthquakes in southern Kansas are set to expire in two weeks http://ow.ly/RYvKI
• After County prosecutor sides with anti-fracking advocates in Youngstown, Ohio, elections board hires outside counsel to defend its referendum decision http://ow.ly/RYWp6
• Cleanup of 2013 North Dakota pipeline spill moving slowly due to a lack of natural gas to power equipment http://ow.ly/RZ7JF
• Wyoming strikes deal with bankrupt Alpha Natural Resources over mine cleanup financial assurance requirements  http://ow.ly/S1T31
• U.S. Energy Information Administration slashes coal production forecast to a near three-decade low http://ow.ly/S2soL

Federal Budget (You can follow the status of all of the fiscal year 2016 appropriation bills on this Congress.gov web page)

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

• Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources will review Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund proposals; new state buffer law; September 16-17, St. Paul, MN http://ow.ly/RNZSz
• Missouri Water Protection Forum, Water Quality Standards Workgroup meeting, October 5, 1-3 PM, Lewis & Clark State Office Bld, 1101 Riverside Dr, Jefferson City http://ow.ly/RYq8p

Photo: courtesy of Overburden film

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency September 2015 Industrial Stormwater News http://ow.ly/RW6aF
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's September 8 TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/RWy7X
• New documentary, "Overburden," captures the impact of the coal industry on Appalachian communities http://ow.ly/RZ9nJ
• Green Lands Blue Waters Update, September 9 http://ow.ly/S1Rq4
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Feedlot Update - September 2015 http://ow.ly/S1U0t
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's September 10 "Watershed News" http://ow.ly/S2S3c

Other news-

• USDA: Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Kentucky top the nation's list for food insecurity http://ow.ly/S2EJd
• Op-ed: While the clock is ticking on the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Congress has a chance to save it http://ow.ly/S1TKU
• Wisconsin groups plan event to discuss the "energy-water nexus" and how the two issues are interrelated http://ow.ly/RNcRX
• Indiana Parks Alliance supports reauthorization of Land and Water Conservation Fund http://ow.ly/RVAxH
• Broad coalition of hunting and fishing interests call on Congress to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund http://ow.ly/S4U6g
• Amidst concern over his skepticism of climate change, Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox will gain control of National Geographic assets http://ow.ly/S1OBk

Politics and People (Days until the 2016 election: 424) -

• Indiana farmer Kip Tom enters crowded Republican Third District U.S. congressional race http://ow.ly/RYS5M
• Former U.S. Attorney Conner Eldridge (D) announces run for U.S. Senate against incumbent Sen. John Boozman (R-Arkansas) http://ow.ly/S1KEV
• Congressional conservatives agitating for a government shutdown taken to task on Wall Street Journal's editorial page http://ow.ly/RYHYB
• North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D) announces that she will not run for governor in 2016 http://ow.ly/S1Nvu
• Republican Darin LaHood projected to win special election to replace former Illinois 18th district Rep. Aaron Schock, who resigned in March http://ow.ly/S4S85
• Nashville, Tennessee elects its first female mayor, Democrat Megan Barry, in a Thursday runoff vote http://ow.ly/S4WnQ

Your Moment of Zen - 

Photograph: Carlos Perez Naval

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

The U.S. Congress is set to reconvene today (Tuesday),  giving lawmakers only three workweeks left until the September 30 end to the 2015 fiscal year.  Individual fiscal year 2016 spending bills will have no chance of finding floor time, given the very crowded House and Senate schedules, necessitating instead the passage of a "stop-gap" continuing resolution to provide uninterrupted funding for federal agencies and programs, and to keep the government from shutting down at the end of the month.

In the short term, Congressional committee leaders have scheduled some meetings and hearings that somewhat relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources, and those planned for this week are listed below. Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages and appropriate pieces of legislation. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these may be, as well (follow the respective meeting or hearing link).  All times are Eastern. This information will be updated as warranted.

Wednesday

• House Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats, and on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations hearing on the "Role of Water in Avoiding Conflict and Building Prosperity;" 2:00 PM, room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade hearing on agricultural trade with Cuba; 2:00 PM, room 2200 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Committee meeting to mark up several pieces of legislation, including H.R. 1644, the “STREAM Act," to "amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to ensure transparency in the development of environmental regulations," 4:00 PM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building (continued on Thursday at 10:00 AM). 

Thursday

• House Natural Resources Committee meeting to mark up several pieces of legislation, including H.R. 1644, the “STREAM Act," to "amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to ensure transparency in the development of environmental regulations," 4:00 PM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building (continued from Wednesday's meeting).

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

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

This Week in WOTUS

The Waters of the United States (WOTUS) carousel continued to turn this week, with both opponents and supporters of the contentious rule vying for their respective brass rings.  Lawyers for thirteen states filed a brief before North Dakota District Court Judge Ralph Erickson contending that the rule should be blocked in all U.S. states, while the Obama administration argued in its brief that the rule should apply nationwide, except within the thirteen states named in Judge Erickson's August 27 injunction blocking the rule's implementation.  The Judge had called for the briefs (“addressing the issue of whether the injunction applies nationally or in a limited geographic area”) after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made it clear that the agency intended to interpret his August 27 injunction narrowly and apply the new rule elsewhere across the country.  For good measure, the BCCA Appeal Group, a non-profit Texas corporation, filed an amicus brief with the Court, arguing on behalf of blocking the rule's implementation nationwide.

Other WOTUS news is highlighted, below, and includes a lawsuit against the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers by several environmental organizations who believe the rule is not protective enough, and several requests by industry groups and lawmakers to delay the rule's implementation until after pending legal issues are resolved.  Next up - a United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is set to hear arguments on the EPA's request to consolidate the numerous WOTUS lawsuits at an October 1 hearing in New York City.  Stay tuned!

It was a busy news week beyond WOTUS, as well, and the best bits of that news are summarized below. If you prefer to skip the list in favor of a more concise version of the week’s River Basin news, check out “What We Learned This Week – ‘Starry, Starry Sight’.”

Next Week

Photo: @CraigCaplan

A sure sign that Congress will soon be back in session: the Senate subway was jacked up this week for some routine maintenance before being pressed back into full service next Tuesday.  The Senate will take up a disapproval resolution on President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran soon after lawmakers return. Consideration of the Iran deal has to be concluded by September 17, when a 60-day Congressional review window closes.  Soon thereafter, Congress will want to move quickly on to a stopgap spending measure to keep the government funded beyond the September 30 end to the current fiscal year.  Although a continuing resolution funding the government will probably pass the Senate clear of contentious amendments (or "riders"), that may not be the case in the House, where conservatives will seek to add one or more riders to the crucial spending bill.

As of today, there are just a limited number of Congressional committee activities scheduled for next that only marginally relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources. This may change over the holiday weekend and into next Tuesday, as committee leaders and staff line up hearings, executive meetings and bill markups following their soporific, late summer recess.  You can check out the up-to-date list of the week's Congressional happenings here.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -

Waters of the United States Rule

• Waterkeeper Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for Food Safety and local

  

  Photo: The Hill

  environmental groups file anti-WOTUS rule lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California http://ow.ly/RvRww (see related news article: http://ow.ly/RvTBL)
• Ruling by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Ralph Erickson for the District of North Dakota throws WOTUS rule into doubt http://ow.ly/RvSjX
• EPA won’t cave on clean water water rule, saying regulations will safeguard drinking water for millions of Americans http://ow.ly/RzZ45
• Producer groups ask Obama administration to suspend enforcement of new Clean Water Act rule until court case is resolved http://ow.ly/RD9Cx
• Four Mississippi River Basin Senators (op-ed): "EPA's water rule needs more input from farmers and small businesses" (U.S. News and World Report op-ed) http://ow.ly/RGxWX
• 13 States: Obama water rule should be blocked nationwide in the name of consistency and because they will likely win the case http://ow.ly/RJC5w (see related article below)
• Obama administration and states argue in court briefs over the extent of WOTUS injunction: 13 states or nationwide http://ow.ly/RJMDJ

Other Water Quality News

• Coast Guard closes part of Mississippi River after oil spill from collision between two  boats near Paducah, Kentucky http://ow.ly/RMZc8 (also see: Thousands of gallons of oil spilled in Mississippi River after two boats collide near Columbus, Kentucky http://ow.ly/RNdlA)
• Opponents of proposed update to Interior Department's stream protection rule vow to fight regulation http://ow.ly/RGpcA (see related articles, below)
• Industry and environmental interests clash at Interior's first stream protection rule hearing http://ow.ly/RJW0m
• Kentucky coal industry, environmental advocates expected to clash in Lexington  over proposed stream protection regulations http://ow.ly/RKGfz
• Federal judge: PPG Industries violated state and federal environmental laws by discharging pollutants from dumpsite into Allegheny River http://ow.ly/RGrlg
• Officials estimate 1,200 barrels of oil have leaked from a West Virginia pipeline into a nearby Ritchie County stream http://ow.ly/RAKaJ
• Toxic algal bloom on Ohio River and its tributaries continues to spread - Monroe County: http://ow.ly/RDm0y and Wheeling-Ohio County http://ow.ly/RDS4L
• Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge (North Dakota) Issues Blue-green Algae Advisory http://ow.ly/RKaHJ
• Ameren coal tar cleanup in Belleville, Illinois to include Richland Creek rerouting, and stream bed, and bank excavation http://ow.ly/RGOtC
• Wisconsin River petroleum-based sediment contamination to be removed in Stevens Point http://ow.ly/RKHAT
• Potentially deadly amoeba found in 4th Louisiana water system http://ow.ly/RJU7k
• Minneapolis waterworks pilot program tests using freshwater mussels as early warning detectors of water quality issues http://ow.ly/RLfJO

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

• 'Natural' Mississippi River diversion - such as the one that created the Mardi Gras Pass - lies at the center of coastal restoration conflict http://ow.ly/RJEQA
• U.S. District Court judge: $3 billion cost of Mississippi River Gulf Outlet ecosystem

  

  Photo: LPBF

  restoration must be completely paid by Federal government; ruling: http://ow.ly/RvBXJ and news article: http://ow.ly/RAIOf
• Times-Picayune Editorial Board: Army Corps responsible for restoring wetlands destroyed by Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet http://ow.ly/RD8oM
• MN DNR cites tribal members for setting a fishing net on Gull Lake in second day of treaty rights challenge http://ow.ly/RA1dJ
• Dredging in Indiana aimed at quickly flushing water out of the region prompts concern and debate in downstream Illinois http://ow.ly/RDFw4
• Indiana Department of Natural Resources to re-establish Black Oak Bayou as a functioning Kankakee River valley wetland http://ow.ly/RDMba
• Limited water quantity issues cloud future of Lower Illinois River trout fishery (Oklahoma) http://ow.ly/RDOCN
• Wisconsin DNR grants available to help municipalities  maintain or remove dams http://ow.ly/RGSiq
• FEMA: the first week of National Preparedness Month is "a good time to consider the true risk” of flooding http://ow.ly/RJFHY
• MPR News: Water rising again in White Bear Lake, but will it stay? (Twin Cities area) http://ow.ly/RMU99

Agriculture -

• USDA survey shows limited access to land for new farmers http://ow.ly/RD9gY 
• Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission approves "compromise" five-year ban on new medium and large hog farms in Buffalo National River watershed http://ow.ly/RDbNF
• USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service: 80% of rented farm acres owned by non-farmers (and other ownership statistics) http://ow.ly/RGHwh
• Price of Illinois farmland is down by 2-7 percent http://ow.ly/RKhnB

Click to enlarge

Climate and Weather -

• New study finds a climate change link to the May 2015 wettest month on record in Texas and Oklahoma http://ow.ly/RGqN4
• Drought update: lack of precipitation, declining stream flows prompt Louisiana, Arkansas drought index deterioration http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center September drought outlook: most likely areas for drought development: southern Plains, lower Mississippi Valley http://ow.ly/q3yAx

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Christian Science Monitor: Starry stonewort and other aliens invading US lakes http://ow.ly/RDn0c
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources confirms state's first cases of invasive starry stonewort in two mid-state lakes http://ow.ly/RA1FP
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources identifies six southeastern state lakes harboring invasive starry stonewort http://ow.ly/RDdub
• Federal judge blocks Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to list lesser prairie chicken as threatened under Endangered Species Act; story: http://ow.ly/RJO8l and court order: http://ow.ly/RJNUS
• U.S. District Court lesser prairie chicken ruling casts doubt on Fish and Wildlife Service's listing policy http://ow.ly/RL746
• North Dakota and Minnesota researchers: shifting Midwest agricultural landscape making it harder for bees to find enough food http://ow.ly/RDf1t
• University of Minnesota startup company's scientists trying to make common carp a lot less common http://ow.ly/RDfi7
• Accelerating oil and gas development, newly-endangered species prompt Dakota Prairie Grasslands Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement http://ow.ly/RDgVn
• Iowa and Nebraska officials: Missouri River threatened by downstream infestation of zebra mussels from southeast South Dakota http://ow.ly/RDMJh
• Over 1,200 comments submitted on EPA proposal to tighten restrictions on pesticide use on crops where bees pollinate http://ow.ly/REACB
• Fish and Wildlife Service attempting to remove federal protections for rare Kentucky white-haired goldenrod and keep Kentucky arrow darter off endangered or threatened species lists http://ow.ly/REBHv
• Off-highway vehicle group predicts "flurry of litigation" against possible government decision to protect the greater sage grouse; story: http://ow.ly/RJRlU and letter: http://ow.ly/RJQtp
• Restoration Midwest: Putting the Piece of the Prairie Back Together in Illinois – Bison in the Nachusa Grassland http://ow.ly/RMWua

In the Cities -

• Anderson, Indiana project utilizing green infrastructure decreased first flush runoff to combined sewers; overflows http://ow.ly/RzYN9
• Inver Grove Heights (Minnesota)  Zero Stormwater Runoff stormwater management system proves successful http://ow.ly/RzZql
• City of Youngstown files complaint with Ohio Supreme Court in support of putting anti-fracking ballot proposal before voters http://ow.ly/RA9cH
• Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish are late to the riverfront destination development game compared to other cities http://ow.ly/RDLri

In the States-

• Minnesota Governor Dayton: state will address stream buffer compensation for farmers in the next legislative session http://ow.ly/RA3R6
• Minnesota program certifying farms for protecting water quality is transitioning from four pilot areas to statewide http://ow.ly/RLflz
• Ohio state House members hold hearing to explore the future of agricultural education in state http://ow.ly/RA439
• Ohio’s new nutrient management-manure laws for the Great Lakes may eventually be applied statewide http://ow.ly/RJHBe
• Governor tries new tactic in deadlocked Pennsylvania state budget talks: smaller, quiet meetings http://ow.ly/RKj50
• Comments due on second draft of Colorado State Water Plan: September 17 http://ow.ly/RDVjC

Gulf Coastal Region-

• The homespun tech that's helping to shore up Louisiana's disappearing coastline http://ow.ly/RMZtt
• Obama may back Louisiana use of offshore oil revenue for coastal restoration http://ow.ly/RzYWv
• "Connecting the Delta Region to the International Marketplace" - Panel Discussion on International Trade in Greater New Orleans: Fueling Economic Growth and Resilience http://ow.ly/RAvhs (video)
• First phase of planned offshore-Louisiana megaport could be open by late 2016, backers say http://ow.ly/RDGfN
• Op-ed: "Coastal erosion is killing Louisiana" http://ow.ly/RGBPv

Forestry -

• airnow.gov maps wildfires that are visible to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellites and related smoke plumes http://ow.ly/Rv19V



Source: airnow.gov

• Op-ed: Federal legislation to address the fire funding crisis also has to address the forest management crisis http://ow.ly/RD95k

Resource Development -

• White House's Office of Management and Budget is reviewing controversial Fish and Wildlife Service proposed update to its oil and gas regulations http://ow.ly/RL87C  (story: http://ow.ly/RL8oT)
• Ohio continues record-setting shale oil and gas production despite falling oil prices and warnings of industry decline http://ow.ly/Rv2dZ
• 110 barrels of brine and 550 barrels of oil spill at Dunn County, North Dakota well blowout site; no surface water affected http://ow.ly/RECaI

Federal Budget (You can follow the status of all of the fiscal year 2016 appropriation bills on this Congress.gov web page)

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

• Upper Mississippi Floodplain Forest Workshop, September 15‐17, Dubuque, Iowa http://ow.ly/RLb11
• Save the date: Association of State Floodplain Managers  Gilbert F. White National Flood Policy forum; September 17, Washington, DC http://ow.ly/RA0F8
• 12th International Phytotechnologies Conference, Manhattan, KS, September 27-30 http://ow.ly/RD7iO
• Tennessee Valley Authority Regional  Resource Stewardship Council  meeting, September 28-29, TVA, 400 W Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee http://ow.ly/RN0iy
• 3rd biennial America’s Grasslands Conference; September 29-October 1, Fort Collins, Colorado http://ow.ly/RGnpq
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council 2015 Watershed Symposium, October 7-9, Missoula Montana http://ow.ly/RMW6p
• National Research Council committee meeting: Effective Approaches for Monitoring and Assessing Gulf of Mexico Restoration Activities; October 28-29 (location TBD) http://ow.ly/RDkpY
• The Food-Energy-Water Nexus: 16th National Conference and Global Forum on Science, Policy and the Environment, Washington, DC, January 19-21, 2016 http://ow.ly/RDvKm

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• A review of Lynne Diebel's book, "Crossing the Driftless," about her paddle across the Driftless Area of Minnesota and Wisconsin http://ow.ly/RKN3L
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy August 28 http://ow.ly/RAaep and September 1 http://ow.ly/RGx5P TUWaterWays e-newsletters
• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 303, August 29; 10-year commemoration of Hurricane Katrina http://ow.ly/RzYbi and No. 304, August 31 http://ow.ly/RAHJq
• Association of State Floodplain Managers "News and Views" Vol. 28, No. 4; August 2015 http://ow.ly/RA06g
• National Conference of State Legislatures' August 2015 Energy and Agriculture Update  http://ow.ly/RE19Y
• Pennsylvania Resources Council September 1, e-newsletter http://ow.ly/RGTJ1
• Gulf Restoration Network's September 3 GulfWaves e-newsletter http://ow.ly/RLbK8

Other news-

• American Rivers accepting river nominations for its 2016 list of America’s Most Endangered Rivers (deadline October 30) http://ow.ly/RKluz
• Duke University researchers find naturally occurring radioactivity in coal combustion residuals

  

  Source: Environ. Sci. Technol.

  from Illinois, Appalachian and Powder River coal basins http://ow.ly/RJZqG
• In a cave beneath South Dakota's Black Hills, researchers find some of the purest water on Earth http://ow.ly/RA38t
• Rock Island Ecological Services Field Office (Moline, IL) currently advertising to fill a US FWS Fish and Wildlife Biologist position http://ow.ly/RAw65
• Study: Long-term exposure to pesticide Roundup at levels thousands of times lower than permitted in U.S. drinking water could cause serious liver and kidney problems http://ow.ly/RB9Et

Politics and People-

• Court cases leave some states (including Wisconsin) stuck in "redistricting limbo" http://ow.ly/RKn8G
• Poll: 24% of Americans now view both the GOP and Democratic Party unfavorably http://ow.ly/RDAu6
• Lucy Lou - Border Collie and mayor of Ohio River town of Rabbit Hash - plans to retire as mayor, run for President http://ow.ly/RDHRD
• U.S. Rep. John Kline (R-MN-2) announces that he will retire at the end of this session of Congress http://ow.ly/RMUDy

Your Moment of Zen -

Photograph: Abbas Dulleh/AP

What We Learned This Week - "Starry, Starry Sight"

Green groups filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers, challenging their new Clean Water rule.  Dueling court briefs were filed by thirteen states and the Obama Administration regarding the states in which that rule currently applies.  Industry and environmental interests clashed at the Interior Department's opening hearing on its proposed stream protection rule. The summer's rash of toxic algal blooms continued on the Ohio River and its tributaries, as well as in North Dakota.  A sometimes-deadly amoeba was found in a fourth Louisiana water supply system.  Minnesota's Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program is transitioning from four pilot areas to statewide.   A U.S. District Court judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers is liable for the entire $3 billion cost of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet wetland restoration.  An Arkansas commission approved a five-year ban on new, medium and large hog farms in the Buffalo National River watershed.  Eighty percent of rented farm land in the U.S. is owned by non-farmers. The drought deepened in Louisiana and Arkansas at the end of August, and NOAA climate scientists predicted that the drought would deteriorate further in those states during September.  Invasive starry stonewort algae were found in two mid-state Minnesota lakes and in six southeastern Wisconsin lakes. A federal judge vacated the Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to list the lesser prairie chicken as a threatened species. That ruling casts doubt on the Fish and Wildlife Service's listing policy, at the same time the agency proposed to remove Endangered Species Act protections for the rare Kentucky white-haired goldenrod and to keep the Kentucky arrow darter off its endangered or threatened species lists.  Both the GOP and Democratic Party are now viewed unfavorably by 24% of American adults.  And last but not least, there may soon be a new candidate running for U.S. President: Lucy Lou - Border Collie and mayor of the Ohio River town of Rabbit Hash.