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.

Hello From New Orleans . . .

Mississippi River at New Orleans

. . . and the 2014 Conference on Ecological and Ecosystem Restoration ("CEER 2014").  The week-long conference will highlight many Mississippi River Basin and Louisiana Gulf Coast studies and remedial efforts (there are 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 will feature remarks by R. King Milling, CEER 2014 Honorary Chair, and Chair of Louisiana Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration and Conservation.  Wednesday's morning plenary session will deal with "Mississippi River Restoration," when speakers seek to frame the nature and scope of action required to sustainably manage the Mississippi River system; assuring the integrity of its natural resources and assets.  Moderated by Val Marmillion of America’s Wetland Foundation, the Wednesday session contributors include Edward E. Belk, Jr., Director of Programs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Valley Division; Gary LaGrange, President and CEO of the Port of New Orleans; Robert Twilley, Executive Director, LSU Sea Grant College Program; and Kirk Hanlin, Assistant Chief of USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Friday morning's plenary will focus on "Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration – RESTORE – Deepwater Horizon," and feature a discussion of restoration plans and programs such as RESTORE, NRDA funding of projects, the Gulf Environmental Fund and the Louisiana State Master Plan. That session's speakers include Justin Ehrenwerth, Executive Director, Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council; Kyle Graham, Executive Director, Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Tanner Johnson, Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund Director (Louisiana and Texas) (Moderator: Don Boesch, President, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science).

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For

As the clock ticks down toward the mid-term election in less than 100 days, the U.S. House is scheduled to be in session four more days this month, no days in August, ten days in September and two days in October. Today (Monday), the House is scheduled to consider H.R. 935, a bill that would allow farmers to spray pesticides near bodies of water without a permit.  That bill would bar the U.S. EPA from requiring a Clean Water Act permit for the activity, which would be considered a discharge of pesticides to a waterway.   Also scheduled for full House consideration this week is H.R. 4315, the ‘‘Endangered Species  Transparency and Reasonableness Act,’’ a controversial bill that would modify the 40-year-old Endangered Species Act.

Below are the other House and Senate activities currently scheduled for this week's four legislative days that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources. Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages, and, where appropriate, to pieces of legislation. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these should be, as well (follow the appropriate link). All times are Eastern.  This page will be updated as warranted.

Monday

• House Rules Committee meeting to discuss the rules for full House consideration of H.R. 4315,  the "21st Century Endangered Species Transparency Act," 5:00 PM, room H-313 The Capitol.

Tuesday

• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation legislative hearing on several bills, including: S. 311, the “Lower Mississippi River Area Study Act,” to study the suitability and feasibility of designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System; H.R. 4901, the “Advancing Conservation and Education Act of 2014,” to maximize land management efficiencies, promote land conservation, and generate education funding; H.R. 4979, the “Red River Private Property Protection Act,” to provide legal certainty to property owners along the Red River in Texas; and H.R. 5086, to study the feasibility of designating the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail; 10:00 AM, room 1324 Longworth House Office Building.
• Senate Budget Committee hearing on "The Costs of Inaction: The Economic and Budgetary Consequences of Climate Change;" 10:00 AM, room 608 Dirksen Senate Office Building. 
• Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation’s Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard hearing on “Revisiting the RESTORE Act: Progress and Challenges in Gulf Restoration Post-Deepwater Horizon.” 10:30 AM, room 253 Russell Senate Office Building.

Wednesday

• House Small Business Committee hearing on "Regulatory Overreach: Is EPA Meeting Its Small Business Obligations?" - to examine the EPA's compliance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act in relation to the agency's recent rule makings; 10:00 AM, room 2360 Rayburn House Office Building.
• House Natural Resources Full Committee hearing on several bills, including: S. 311, the “Lower Mississippi River Area Study Act,” to study the suitability and feasibility of designating sites in the Lower Mississippi River Area in Louisiana as a unit of the National Park System;  H.R. 5026, To prohibit closing or repurposing any propagation fish hatchery or aquatic species propagation program of the Department of the Interior unless such action is expressly authorized by an Act of Congress, and for other purposes. “the Fish Hatchery Protection Act;” and H.R. 5069, To amend the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act to increase in the price of Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps to fund the acquisition of conservation easements for migratory birds, and for other purposes. “the Federal Duck Stamp Act;”  10:00 AM, room 1334 Longworth House Office Building.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Minnesota DNR Contractor Catches Two Asian Carp Upstream of Previous Sightings  

Mississippi River Lock and Dam System
(click to enlarge)

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) contractors netted two adult non-native Asian carp, one a bighead carp and the other a silver carp, in Pool 2 of the Mississippi River in the Cottage Grove, Minnesota area on July 17. Because of the ability of Asian carp and many other non-native fish to compete with and displace native species, invasive fish are a significant threat to native biodiversity and the economy in the Mississippi River watershed. Pool 2 is formed upstream of the Army Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam 2 at Mississippi River mile 815.2 near Hastings, Minnesota.  For more details on the sighting, see this MN DNR press release and our related overview.

This Week, Next Week and Beyond
The U.S. House is scheduled to be in session just 16 more days until the November mid-term election: four more this month, no days in August, ten days in September and two days in October.  This link leads to a listing of the U.S. House and Senate activities currently scheduled for next week's four legislative days that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources.  That activity is unlikely to include any meaningful action on spending bills.  Some time during September, the House will likely vote on a stop-gap measure to prevent a federal government shutdown on October 1, deferring most of the big spending decisions until after the midterms.  Here is a link to the abridged, one-paragraph version of the past week.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• 2014 Gulf of Mexico dead zone smaller than usual, measuring about 2,600 square miles and bearing out predictions http://ow.ly/zrs5E
• Association of State Wetland Managers: "Clean Water Act Jurisdiction, Polluters and Clean Water" http://ow.ly/zoaS7
• West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection cites mountaintop-removal mine over runoff threat to nearby stream http://ow.ly/zodpw
• Grasslands conversion to farmland may increase water pollution in Southeastern Minnesota http://ow.ly/zokz1
• USEPA awards over $11 million to Oklahoma to assist communities in improving water quality and infrastructure http://ow.ly/zrj54
• USDA delays roll-out of new water quality best management practices on National Forest System lands http://j.mp/1zYn3NN (proposed rule open for 30 days additional public comment)
• A new poll finds support in the business community for the EPA’s proposed “Waters of the United States” rule. http://j.mp/1pcz2hZ
• Legislation streamlining regulation of wastewater discharges from ships passes Senate Committee press release: http://ow.ly/zxnaX bill: http://ow.ly/zxnsc story: http://ow.ly/zxnDd
• Federal judge finds Alpha Natural Resources subsidiary liable for discharging selenium-polluted water at West Virginia mine http://ow.ly/zzxUz
• Local officials tell House committee they want more flexibility on wastewater mandates http://ow.ly/zzz5a

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

• Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) pressures Federal Emergency Management Agency to finish updating U.S.  flood maps by 2017 http://ow.ly/zxmQJ
• Western Kansas will be forced to adjust to the reality of a shrinking Ogallala aquifer http://ow.ly/zuBJa
• USDA to provide $262 million for rehabilitation assistance for 150 dams in 26 states http://ow.ly/zoe1n (list of projects by state: http://ow.ly/zodVu)
• Minneapolis' "golden age of river traffic" never arrived http://ow.ly/zrt4Z (and follow-up article: http://ow.ly/zrt7W)
• Federal regulators give two Nebraska utilities more time to evaluate Missouri River flooding hazards at nuclear power plants http://ow.ly/zuEpv
• Resources for the Future discussion Paper: Floodplain Conservation as a Flood Mitigation Strategy http://ow.ly/zx0Ov (PDF file)
• Metropolitan Council (Twin Cities) outlines options for augmenting White Bear Lake with Mississippi River water http://ow.ly/zxl3x

Falling corn prices are raising fears
that many U.S. farmers will
suffer their first losses in years

Agriculture -

• Policy Matters blog (University of Illinois): “A Brief History of Farm Conservation Policy” http://ow.ly/zzBa9
• USDA Reminds Farmers of 2014 Farm Bill Conservation Compliance Changes http://ow.ly/zsn3Y
• NPR: Deploying Drones To Get An Overview Of Factory Farms http://ow.ly/zob69
• Sen. Pat Roberts (R., Kans.): "many folks believe [EPA] rules are driven by an anti-agriculture agenda" http://ow.ly/zuxcq
• Story in graphs: Agricultural economy poised to face first sustained slump in a decade http://ow.ly/zzAeB http://ow.ly/zzAgX http://ow.ly/zzAj0

Climate and Weather -

• July 22 US drought update: Widespread precipitation in River Basin, plus unseasonably cool air, lead to general drought relief http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• NOAA: On heels of May's record, June's average global temperature sets a new record at 61.2F, 1.3F higher than June's 20th Century average ow.ly/zpw2S
• NY Times: Mapping the Spread of Drought Across the U.S.; Maps and charts show changing extent of the drought http://ow.ly/zzwKL

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

The longear sunfish, Lepomis megalotis, is a freshwater fish
in the sunfish family Centrarchidae

• Sunfish found in Mississippi River;s Iowa waters likely a rare longear sunfish http://ow.ly/zuDwy historically found in now-rare backwaters 
• NY Times: Conservation effort to protect the sage grouse has put different environmental interests at odds http://ow.ly/zoai1
• House members request USDA report on cost, feasibility of Lesser Prairie Chicken conservation measures http://ow.ly/zrikS
• La Crosse, Wis. experienced millions of mayflies from a Mississippi River hatch on Sunday; may have contributed to car crash http://ow.ly/zrtoA (and they show up on radar: http://ow.ly/zurYB)
• Two Asian Carp Species Caught by Minnesota DNR Contractor Upstream of Previous Sightings; MN DNR release: http://ow.ly/zxuuH
• Chinese subsidiary aims for big Asian carp catch near Indianola, Mississippi http://ow.ly/zxqER
• Successful pollinator habitat program in Europe is being launched in the Mississippi Delta http://ow.ly/zrtPy

In the Cities -

• Trout Brook in St. Paul’s North End to see daylight once again as part of Nature Sanctuary and Regional Trail project http://ow.ly/zoCYE
• $1 million FEMA grant to Eddyville, Iowa aimed at protecting city from Des Moines River flooding http://ow.ly/zrrAk
• Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District will receive $756,350 in DOT  funds to construct a new Mississippi River Passenger Ferryboat Terminal in Moline, Illinois http://ow.ly/zrZn3
• GreenStep Cities sprout in Minnesota promoting environmentally sustainable standard operating practices http://ow.ly/zuyTW

In the States-

• Nebraska Natural Resources Commission lays groundwork for projects intended to preserve state's long-term water supply http://ow.ly/zoBZW
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency survey says: Minnesotans want clean water for fish http://ow.ly/zs2lU

Gulf Coastal Region-

• National Research Council Report: Gulf and Atlantic Coasts Not Prepared for Sea-Level Rise; National Geographic story http://ow.ly/zxlkU and NRC release: http://ow.ly/zxlqe

Resource Development -

• Obama administration plans to raise amount of ethanol, other biofuels that must be blended into U.S. fuel supply http://ow.ly/zzAOg (also see: http://ow.ly/zzAYu)
• How oil and gas firms gained influence and transformed North Dakota http://ow.ly/zouod
• Wisconsin frac sand facility operates two high-capacity wells without permit, faces $52,500 in fines http://ow.ly/zuyno

Federal Budget -

• House Speaker Boehner (R-Ohio) expects House will consider a stopgap funding bill in September to avoid a government shutdown http://ow.ly/zxUM8
• $34 billion spending bill for energy and water programs for fiscal year 2015 released  by Senate appropriators http://ow.ly/zzyzo

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

• 2014 National Forum on Contaminants in Fish; September 22-24,  Alexandria, Virginia http://ow.ly/zoeqb
• Public meetings will be held by the Mississippi River Commission in August at various Mississippi River locations http://ow.ly/zzv74
• Save the date: 18th International Soil Conservation Organization Conference, El Paso, Texas; May 31-June 5, 2015 http://ow.ly/zv8MQ

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Montana Watershed Coordination Council July 17 http://ow.ly/zof77 and July 24 Watershed News http://ow.ly/zzwpI
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Watershed Network News - July 22 http://ow.ly/zsmOI
• July 23 Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's issue of TUWaterWays e-newsletter http://ow.ly/zxSq3

Other news-

• New rules require additional IDs to enter federal facilities for persons with a driver’s license issued by 12 states, including Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana and Oklahoma in the Mississippi River Basin. http://ow.ly/zx1Q2
• Department of Interior designates Mississippi Delta as a National Heritage Area http://ow.ly/zoCxK
• Louisiana and Iowa led all U.S. states in the value of industrial construction projects during 2013  http://ow.ly/zuCJO

Politics and People-

• American voters say they really, really hate Congress, unless it's their own representative, that is http://ow.ly/zzOty
• New Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge manager Sabrina Chandle brings "river-deep" expertise http://ow.ly/zuD8p
• Election of North Dakota's agriculture commissioner is all about oil http://ow.ly/zs2KT
• House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy does not officially become House Majority Leader until August, but for all intents and purposes, he is already http://ow.ly/zoyad

Your Moment of Zen -

It's mating season for the millions of mayflies emerging from the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Source: NWS

What We Learned This Week - "Are You a Good Fish or a Bad Fish?"

As predicted, the 2014 Gulf of Mexico dead zone is smaller than usual, measuring about 2,600 square miles, roughly the size of Delaware.  If you're from Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana or Oklahoma, take more than your driver's license to gain entry into the halls of Congress and other federal facilities under new screening requirements. Most small business owners say they would support the provisions of the Obama Administration's proposed Waters of the U.S. rule.  A new study shows once more that climate models are indeed reliable.  As if to affirm that confirmation, we've broken the world temperature record in June after posting a hottest-ever May. On a related note, the Gulf of Mexico coast is ill-prepared for the inevitable sea-level rise. There is good news and bad news of the "Finding Nemo" variety: The good news - a sunfish found recently in Iowa's Mississippi River waters is likely a rare longear sunfish.  The bad news - two Asian carp species were found by a Minnesota DNR contractor well upriver from where they were previously observed.  The La Crosse, Wisconsin area has experienced millions of mayflies emerging from a Mississippi River hatch, which may have contributed to a car crash.  The happiest city in the US according to a new study is Lafayette, Louisiana.  Oh, "Minneapolis-golden-age-of-river-traffic," we hardly knew ye!  Insurers are reaping the benefits of a significant uptick in the number of earthquakes in Oklahoma (2,300 so far in 2014), but the causes of the increase there and elsewhere in the region are unclear. American voters say they really, really hate Congress, excluding their own representative, that is. This year's Kentucky Senate race is on track to be the most expensive U.S. Senate contest ever, and it has a new candidate: a "terribly frank" Gil Fulbright has entered the race, although he won't be appearing anywhere on the November ballot.  And last, but not least, the theme for this year's Annual Blessing of the Fleet and Parade of Boats in Portage des Sioux, Missouri is "Noah's Ark."  In keeping with that theme, the event had to be rescheduled from July 19 to August 9 because of Mississippi River flooding.